Shadows and Roses
by winterliewsound
Summary: "The peregrine falcon will save the village when it is shrouded in shadows. Daybreak shall he travel, with rivaling flowers by his side." (Please be noted that this story was written before Hanzo's release so earlier chapters refer to him as 'Kurou.')
1. Chapter 1

Part 1

The sun filtered through the leaves of the trees, dappling the ground with light. The branches so thick, they form a canopy over the entrance of the dojo. Cherry blossoms carried by the wind littered the ground and occasionally glided into the doorway. The sweet scents of the cherry blossoms filled the air, bringing the sense of renewal. Spring is here.

A young girl sat on the edge of the platform of the dojo, admiring the view. She swung her legs back and forth, her ears closed off to the thumps and voices of the older students sparring each other behind her. A single sakura petal landed on her knee. She picked it up and sniffed it, before it was carried off by the wind and floated away.

"Hanabi," Chiyo sensei called from inside. Her voice rose in frustration when the young girl didn't hear her. "Miss Akane."

The girl, Hanabi, whipped around and, seeing all eyes on her, got up in embarrassment and rushed inside.

"I'm sorry, sensei," Hanabi bowed down deeply. "I was only admiring the view."

"There will be time to admire when we go to _hanami_ tomorrow," Chiyo sensei promised. "Let's focus on training now, shall we?"

 _Hanami_ , the Japanese word meaning "watch the view". It was how Hanabi got her name. She was born at the beginning of spring. Her mother went into labour watching the cherry blossoms dancing in the air. Hanabi often thought it contradicted to the original meaning of her name; firework. But her mother told her that she would never understand, unless she was to give birth herself.

"Yuck! I am _never_ going to have a baby," Hanabi spat.

"That was what I thought when I was your age," her mother said while folding clothes. "But time changes things and I thought having a beautiful daughter would be very lovely."

"Hanabi," her sensei broke into her thoughts. "Try those moves we learned yesterday against your classmates."

Hanabi searched the dojo for the familiar faces she trained with. All of them were huddled in the corner, watching their seniors train the minute before. Upon hearing that Hanabi was to spar against them, they immediately got up with nervous looks on their faces. Hanabi felt sorry for them. She was the best at martial arts among Chiyo sensei's students her age, she was praised many times by Chiyo and said that she would be able to take on a senior student one on one by the time the cherry blossoms stop blooming.

Eight juniors formed a circle around her at the center of the dojo. She stood in the battle stance, her eyesight only limited in front of her and her peripheral vision. The first attack would likely come behind her. She would need to use her ears to pick up for footsteps. Even the light rustle of a student adjusting their poise made her alert and she whipped to the side. That was when the first attack came.

Hanabi was right, the attack was from behind. The easiest way to unbalance a person was to swing your legs to impact on their upper body. Hanabi rolled on the ground and got up on her feet, ready. Just as the student's feet touched the ground, Hanabi dove in and planted her palm on his hips. He staggered and Hanabi took the change to attack from below, swiping her leg and swept his feet off the ground. He fell on his back.

The next attacker advanced from the side. She tried to connect the sides of her hands on Hanabi's neck, torso and face but the more skilled girl managed to block it and grabbed the girl's arm and twist her over.

Two more students advanced in opposite directions. Sensei must have given the instruction to the duo since her lesson yesterday was to learn to tackle two enemies. She flipped forward in a handstand, almost buckling under her own weight, and locked her legs around one of their necks. Hanabi used the momentum to lean forward and then backwards suddenly, throwing her lower body - and the student - over her head. She released her grip of the student's neck and he crashed into the other girl who was prepared for the toss. She caught him but the both of them fell onto the floor with a loud thump.

Hanabi was breathing heavily by that time, but there were four more opponents. She wiped her sweaty forehead and waited for their next attack.

"Enough," sensei ordered. Everyone stood to attention. "Hanabi, that was a sloppy flip. We will practice again next week."

She walked over to Hanabi and took a close look at her. Her eyes scrutinising the young girl. "You look as if I've tried to drown you. You have a low stamina, Miss Akane. There will be no time for a chance to breathe once on the battlefield."

"Yes, sensei," Hanabi gasped. She developed great respect for her teacher even though she had trained under her for just a few months. Chiyo sensei is the Scarlet Shadow Supreme Grandmaster who was also respected by everyone in both sects.

"As for the rest of you..."

Hanabi's body felt as if it was on fire. A year of training had her gotten used to the sores, but it has yet to improve her endurance.

They were dismissed just as the sun was going down below the rooftops. Hanabi took the usual path home, through the marketplace where she got to see all the delicious food they cook in front of you or to admire the toys and goodies they put out in front.

"Akane-san!" Someone called her.

Hanabi turned around to see one of her classmates, Misaki, waving and coming towards her. "Good training today, Akane-san," she said when she caught up to her. "I look forward to sparring with you again."

"Thanks, Misaki. You can just call me Hanabi," she replied, a bit flattered.

"Ah, Akane-san, I wish I could be as good as you. I don't think I can live up to sensei's expectations," Misaki said, dipping her face in her hands. "I've seen you going home this way a few times. I live somewhere by the marketplace too. Can we walk together?"

"Yeah, sure. Come on." Hanabi led the way down to the marketplace. Smoke wafted out of some of the stalls, bringing delicious smells to their noses. Crowds of people were hanging out, families and couples and occasionally and group of friends. Eyes followed Hanabi and Misaki as if they were an attraction, after all, the marketplace was almost a place of festivities and they were wearing the white uniforms of the martial arts.

"Akane-san, look!" Misaki pointed to one of the small shops wear there were mannequins standing outside wearing yukatas. "They look so pretty."

Hanabi observed the strikingly-coloured yukatas. "Sure," she said, nonchalantly.

"I think you would look beautiful in one."

Hanabi wasn't sure she wanted to look beautiful at all. She just wanted to get home. "Let's go."

"Oh, Akane-san, you're too boring," Misaki pouted. "There is more to tradition than just martial arts, you know."

It seemed that her father's influence had grown into her. The next generation of ninjas are always carried out by the children of the present ninjas to continue the lineage. Her father was one of the best ninjas in the Scarlet Secr. She heard so much stories of him from her mother and she looked up to him as somewhat of a hero. Hanabi wanted to be like her father someday.

"Well, here's where we separate," Misaki announced when they reached an intersection out of the marketplace. "I'll see you tomorrow, Akane-san!"

She dashed off into the growing shadows of the village.

Hanabi watched her go. Misaki reminded her of her own mother; the complete opposite of her father. Hanabi had her mother's complexion, dark hair, fair skin and a sharp face. Her mother told her that those features are hugely desired among men and that she was sure that Hanabi would find a good husband in the future. She heard her mother arguing with her father, Hanabi could be well-known as a dancer or a servant because of her beauty. A lot of men would pay rich gifts to have her. Her father had fighting back that he didn't want his daughter to become a prostitue in a brothel, plus he wanted someone to carry down his legacy.

Misaki's likeness to her mother, reminded Hanabi of how beautiful she really was. And Hanabi still chose to ignore it.


	2. Chapter 2

Part 2

Training was intense. If you were hit more than twice, you're out. If you were ever unbalanced off of your feet, you'll be counted as dead.

This time, the training session took place outdoors in the stone courtyard. At night, as usual.

A young boy dodge the multiple kicks his attacker gave him and fisted his gut.

"Out!" Kenji Sensei announced. "Next!"

The challenge was survival of the fittest. Two opponents were placed in a ring, fight until you loose and the winner takes on the next challenger. The last one standing wins.

The last challenger was a boy who was more or less the same level as him. "Go easy on me, Shou," he smirked.

Kenji Sensei watched on, his eyes as trained as an eagle's as he looked for one misstep, one missed hit. Everything needs to be perfect.

"Ryuu and Hayabusa," sensei announced. "This will determine who is truly the best."

Shou Hayabusa scoffed. This was barely fair. He almost took on the whole class of 11 and Ryuu was dilly-dallying this whole time, purposely putting himself last.

Ryuu came onto him so hard Hayabusa was nearly knocked off his feet. He planted himself firmly into the ground as he tried to withstand the impact. He gritted his teeth with the effort as he blocked a kick from Ryuu. His whole body was sore and painful, and he was almost blinded with the waterfall of sweat coming down his face.

He missed the swipe that came from under his chin.

Hayabusa let out a grunt as he was knocked back but managed to stay on his feet. Ryuu still had that stupid smirk on his face. Hayabusa was almost out of breath, he was breathing heavily and he wiped his forehead with the sleeve of his white uniform. He held up his arms in a cross to cover his head from more incoming attacks. At the corner of his eye, he saw the concern in Kenji Sensei's face. He was standing at the edge of the ring with crossed arms, a confident stance which contradicted the look on his face. He had always wanted to push his students to their limits, because - he believed - that was the only way they could improve. But he must have realized he had pushed his prized pupil too far.

 _I will not let him down._ Hayabusa found resolve and furrowed his brows.

As Ryuu planned to land a punch on his shoulder, Hayabusa quickly managed to take hold of him and pull him forward just as he was landing the hit. Ryuu was caught off guard, his face a look of shock.

 _You thought you were winning, didn't you?_

With his other hand, Hayabusa punched his nose from the below. The impact was hard as Ryuu was falling forward.

Ryuu staggered back and wiped his bloody nose. "I'll bloody murder you," he swore, his eyes full of rage. He took a spinning jump to do multiple kicks at Hayabusa, hoping to land each one.

Like the bird that was his namesake - the peregrine falcon - he dodged each one and managed to kick Ryuu in the crotch. A primitive move but that was the the only place he could kick without injuring his face any more than he already did.

"Ah!" Ryuu groaned. "I'll definitely fu-..."

"That's enough!" Kenji Sensei ordered. "Hayabusa is the winner of today's class tournament."

Ryuu was holding his crotch. "He cheated!" He whined like a child who lost a game. "He kicked my crotch."

"A ninja should always take advantage of what he has in battle," sensei advised. "Let that be a lesson to all of you."

Hayabusa collapsed onto the stone pavement. His whole body was sore and weary, and his arms hurt from protecting himself from so many hits.

"Class dismissed," Kenji Sensei announced. "You can go back to your dorms after dinner, but don't forget to have your injuries looked at before."

Just as Hayabusa got up to leave, Kenji Sensei hailed him. "I would like to have a talk with you," he said, and walked up the steps into the dojo.

"Huh, looks like straight-face is going to get in trouble after all," Ryuu scoffed. He joined his band of snot-faces and they retrieved to the dorm.

"What is it, sensei?" Hayabusa sat cross-legged on the mat of the dojo in a separate room from where they usually train.

His sensei sat opposite him across a low wooden table where there two empty cups and a ceramic pot of tea. From the way the cover was held, it was empty. He would not be getting a privileged sip of tea with his sensei tonight.

"I would like to talk to you about the tournament," Kenji Sensei started.

Hayabusa formed fists on his lap. "I'm sorry, it was a mistake."

"Not _that_ tournament. The one against the Scarlet Sect," he said. His gaze was fixed on the young boy. "I am positive that I will have _you_ in next year's tournament."

Hayabusa knew about the annual friendly tournament between the students of the Scarlet Sect and the Shadow Sect.

"And, it will better prepare you for your final competition for the title of Scarlet Shadow Grandmaster."

The boy was taken aback, but he tried to keep his composure. "You want me to train to become the next Grandmaster?"

Kenji sensei nodded. "I am sure you will be the one to succeed."

"Thank you, Kenji Sensei." Hayabusa stood up and bowed. "I'll be sure to make you proud."

Hayabusa wasn't sure what he felt. Excitement? Pride?

The next Scarlet Shadow competition would be the following year and a popular name had been going around the village; Kurou, a Shadow Sect student. His abilities and skills far exceeded what many have seen in their lifetime and he was even recognized among the Scarlet Sect. He would for sure be the next Scarlet Shadow Grandmaster.

Hayabusa stepped out of the dojo and looked in the direction of the dorms. It was so old you couldn't take a step without the floorboards creaking beneath your feet. He knew his father trained there once. Albeit it wasn't a luxurious place, it was one of his last link to his late father and it gave Hayabusa a sense of calm knowing that he was following in his father's footsteps.

Loud voices erupted from somewhere in front of the dorms. Hayabusa couldn't go back to the dorms. Not yet. He didn't want to get ridiculed in front of the entire class by Ryuu and his friends again although he told himself many a time that he didn't care.

 _Kagura._

He took the path out of the courtyard and down to the far end of the village where one of the most powerful families lived.

Hayabusa was not able to see her all day. And that day was the funeral of the Ancestor Master, Kagura's grandmother.

Regret gripped his stomach. Did his childhood friend waited for him to come by, needing his support, only to not see a trace of him?

His pace quickened until he was almost running. Her mansion came into view and he crossed the bridge over the koi lake that led to her house.

A young girl was sitting out front on the steps that led to the entrance. Her head was hung low. The dim light from a single paper lantern illuminated her white hair but all around her, shadows were casted. The scene was eerie and it made Hayabusa thought twice wether or not that girl was still the same girl he had gotten to know.

"Hayabusa?" The girl looked up. Her blue eyes like orbs when they looked at him. Her nose and cheeks were red; she had been crying.

"I'm sorry, Kagura," he started. He approached her carefully with his arms outstretched. He didn't know what to say. How could he comfort her? She was there during his father's funeral, and he wanted to return the favor. But he had missed the whole ceremony.

"Where were you?" she sniffed.

Somehow, saying that he was training sounded more like an excuse than a reason. He kept quiet instead.

The silence dragged on. Just when he thought he would crack under the pressure, Kagura spoke. "Sit with me."

Cautiously as if approaching a wild animal, Hayabusa took the last few steps towards the stairs and sat beside Kagura, leaving a few respectable centimeters between them. He looked at her then down at her lap. Now that he was closer he could see that she was holding something.

"My grandmother gave this umbrella to me," Kagura said, her voice shaky. "The power of the Omnyouji that resides in this umbrella, has been passed down to me."

Hayabusa had seen that umbrella before. During special ceremonies, her grandmother would lift the umbrella into the air and it would burst into many wonderful colours. The audience stared in awe as the umbrella foreshadowed the fireworks in the sky. Now that the umbrella had been passed down to Kagura, she would have to be present at special occasions in the village.

"What about your parents?" Hayabusa asked.

"My grandmother talked to a seer," Kagura responded, her fingers stoking the handle of the umbrella. "The seer told her that a time of darkness is coming. The umbrella should be passed down to whomever holds the most potential." She met his gaze, her smile a sad and grieving look. "And my grandmother thinks that it's me."

A time of darkness?

Hayabusa threw that thought away. "You'll do great," he said. "If you grandmother believed that you are the most talented, you have to believe in that yourself."

A dry laugh escaped from Kagura's mouth as she wiped her eyes. She placed her hand on his as she said, "With such genuine words, it sounds funny with your monotone voice."

"I do mean it."

"You are always so emotionless."

"I am not."

Hayabusa received a light punch in the shoulder. "Thank you for coming," Kagura said, her voice lost all its initial playfulness. "I knew you would come no matter how late it is."

"I apologize again."

"Quiet, you."

Kagura stood up, holding the umbrella carefully in both of her hands. "Are you free tomorrow?"

Hayabusa twisted his body so he could see her. "Yes, I am."

"Can you come around? I want you to help me practice my Omnyouji powers." Kagura grinned, a real and pleasant grin that lifted Hayabusa's spirits - and probably the atmosphere of the whole garden.

Hayabusa nodded and Kagura went into her family's mansion, leaving him alone in the dark.


	3. Chapter 3

Even though there was only one village, it was divided between the Shadow Sect and the Scarlet Sect. After many years of hostility, the two parties managed to overcome their differences and live in peace in the village. However, they have not come to terms with their beliefs yet. What that belief was Hanabi did not know. All she knew was that today, _she_ would be competing in the friendly tournament against the Shadow Sect.

The event was held in the center of the village in a small hall, fit for at least a hundred people. Her mother would be there to support her, as will Supreme Grandmaster Chiyo and three more of her classmates who would be competing with her.

"Remember," Chiyo sensei reminded them before they entered the hall. "Each if you would be fighting against the Shadow Sect opponent. The winner will move onto the next round. And in the final round, the best Scarlet Sect and the best Shadow Sect will compete with one another to see who is the best."

The four of them nodded obediently. While Hanabi was trying to act calm, her heart was beating like it was about to burst out of her chest.

Her head spun when she entered the hall. She had never been in any place so big. The wooden ceiling towered high above her head and the room was so spacious she could run laps around it while doing backflips. She spotted her mother sitting at the edge with the rest of the visitors. She gave Hanabi an encouraging smile.

The four Scarlets lined one side of the hall and a moment later, four Shadows entered and lined the other side, facing the Scarlets. The eight of them bowed to their opponents and the Supreme Grandmaster gave the opening speech.

"First round," Chiyo announced. "Hanabi and Ryuu."

Hanabi's classmates retreated to the edge of the hall and she took a step forward to meet her opponent; a ruff-looking boy, a little taller than her with neat side-swept hair.

A gong sounded and the match started. The two of them stood in the battle stance and circled each other, their eyes looking for the perfect place to make the first strike.

 _His hands look scary. He could throw me off with a swipe. I must be careful._

Ryuu took a jump forward and dove toward her. With all the breath taken from her, Hanabi planted her feet firmly on the mat to counter his push. She kneed him in the stomach and threw him off. Ryuu rolled and jumped to his feet, bouncing on his toes.

 _He wasn't hurt by it at all._

Hanabi decided she would make the next attack. She swung her legs toward his face but he blocked it with an arm. Immediately after her feet landed on the ground, she used her other leg in a reverse kick to his stomach again. He hadn't anticipated that at all.

 _I got him!_

Hanabi whipped around and tried to land a few strikes on his upper body. But he seemed to dodge and block all of it. Then came the punch.

Hanabi saw sparks when he punched her cheek. Then he performed multiple kicks towards her lower body. Hanabi wasn't able to block off the last kick and nearly had her buckling to the ground. But she wasn't going to let it throw her off. On his face was a satisfied grin.

 _Ugh, I don't like him. He's too cocky._

He spread his legs. He looked as if he was about to perform his dive again. Having experienced it once, Hanabj knew what to do. She bent her legs too, almost as if she was trying to counter him again. Ryuu's grin grew wider. He knew he was stronger than her. He was going to push her down.

But when he dove, Hanabi jumped as high as she could over his head and when she landed, she swiped her legs across the ground, unbalancing him. A loud thump sounded behind her.

"Winner goes to Hanabi from the Scarlet Sect," Chiyo announced when Ryuu hadn't managed to get to his feet in a while.

Hanabi bowed and retreated to her friends who gave her pats on the back and whispers of congratulations.

As the next three matches progressed, Hanabi took the time to assess the winning Shadow's strategies. One of which caught her interest, a small Shadow boy who took down his opponent in less than a minute. The crowd was silent as they watched in awe.

"Winner goes to Hayabusa from the Shadow Sect."

 _Hayabusa?_ Hanabi furrowed her brows. Was the Scarlet opponent just nervous or was the Shadow boy just really good?

Hanabi scanned the crowds.

"Eh? What's _the_ family doing here?" Hanabi whispered to one of her classmates in surprise. _The_ family famously referred to the strongest Omnyouji masters in the village. "This tournament isn't important enough for them to be here."

At the end of the hall, sitting beside Supreme Grandmaster Chiyo was a man dressed in a smart black kimono. Next to him, her hair as white as her father's seemed to be his daughter. There was something in her lap that Hanabi was too far away to see. Her face was a look of delight when Chiyo sensei announced the winner of the match.

"I don't know," her classmate replied. "Maybe it's because they grew a sudden interest to the future ninjas?"

"Or maybe one of the daughters had gone googly-eyes for one of the Shadows," another classmate spoke.

 _Hmm._

"With that, the first round is concluded. Participants entering the second round are Hanabi and Miho from the Scarlet Sect and Yui and Hayabusa from the Shadow Sect. Let the second round commence!" Chiyo's voice echoed throughout the hall. "First match, Hanabi and Yui."

A lean girl met Hanabi in the center. Her face had a fox-like feature and her hair was kept tightly back. Yui sprang forward and landed a hit on Hanabi's shoulder. From her observation from the sidelines, it would soon be followed by a kick and Hanabi made a move to dodge. Yui's feet missed by an inch.

Hanabi threw punches at her and Yui managed to block, but she didn't expect the kick that came after. Yui tumbled to the ground and rolled over. Her eyes were a look of intense concentration that almost scared Hanabi. She leaped and grabbed her shoulder, wanting to use her weight to push Hanabi towards the ground.

Hanabi rolled sideways and used her leg to unbuckle Yui. The two were on the floor squirming like snakes. It was a close call but Hanabi managed to toss her aside and climbed onto her. She grabbed one of Yui's arms and pulled it over her back. Yui was trying to fight against her, gritting her teeth and desperately swinging her legs to try to at least get a hit on the more skilled girl. But at last, she used her other hand to pay the floor twice and Hanabi let go.

"Hanabi from the Scarlet Sect earns the victory," Chiyo announced once again.

Out of breath, Hanabi retreated to her classmates.

"That was amazing, Hanabi," one of them praised her.

"You're going to the finals!"

Next, it was Miho's and Hayabusa's turn. The two boys stood opposite each other and Hayabusa attacked first. His speed was incredible. He blinded Miho, then elbowed him. He rolled onto the ground then high-kicked him from below.

Miho staggered back. Hayabusa didn't even give him a chance. Miho launched a floppy kick which Hayabusa blocked off easily.

Hanabi watched with amazement. _Is_ he _going to compete against_ me

Miho should be given a medal for resilience. He wouldn't go down no matter how many times Hayabusa planted a kick or punch on him. Miho also tried to land a few punches but his opponent dodged them.

 _It almost seemed as if he's playing with him._

With a shout, Miho charged at him and slammed into the smaller-framed boy.

Hayabusa gritted his teeth as he crossed his arms. He fell onto his back. In a blink of an eye, Hayabusa had Miho in a strangling hold on the ground, making him the winner. The other shadows cheered at the other end of the hall.

"He's scary," one of Hanabi's classmates said. "I can't believe you're going against him, Hanabi."

Hanabi gripped the ends of her shirt. "I'll beat him."

Next was the match with Miho against Yui to determine who would be in third, giving Hayabusa time to recharge for the final round between him and Hanabi. Sweat coated her back even though the spar hadn't started. She strained her eyes as far as she could to the corner where the Shadow Sect were praising Hayabusa. His back were facing towards her so she couldn't see his face.

"Hanabi looks scary," someone whispered.

Without knowing, she had furrowed her eyebrows so deeply that her eyes must've been only slits and she had pressed her lips together. She closed her eyes and tried to relax herself, to release the tension. "It doesn't matter," she said. "It's just a friendly match, that's all."

The match quickly ended with Miho as the winner, being the larger of the two, even though he was exhausted from the fight with Hayabusa he quickly dominated Yui.

Grandmaster Chiyo announced the last match of the day; Hanabi from the Scarlet Sect and Hayabusa from the Shadow Sect. The whole place was quiet with suspense and the only sounds were the footsteps of the two opponents as they walked to the centre to greet each other. It was so silent, that Hanabi could hear the floorboard creaking under her bare feet. She met her opponent and bowed. When they stood straight back up, she could finally get a better look at Hayabusa. Long bangs fell of his eyes and stuck to his forehead with sweat, from under his sleeves there were new muscles forming and his face was an emotionless facade. Looking at him, you wouldn't know he was that good.

It was time to fight.

With a shout, Hanabi launched herself forward but Hayabusa dodged her and swung his legs at her. She used her arms to protect herself, but the impact made her roll backwards. Before she could even flip onto her feet, the boy was already over her. Hanabi rolled to the side and a foot thumped onto the ground at where she was a second ago.

 _He is faster than I expected. I've underestimated his speed._

The two exchanged blows at each other that seemed to last forever. Gathering her energy, Hanabi kicked her leg out at his face which, as expected, he blocked. She was drenched in sweat, and Hayabusa seemed to be the same.

Suddenly, he made a move for her legs. Hanabi was taken aback, she wasn't trained for anything like this before. Not knowing what else to do, she jumped up and over his back. Just when she was about to land on the ground, a force made her flew farther and she rolled onto the ground. Her back was in pain, as did the rest of her body. She felt like she was burning.

 _That sly fox._ He must've rolled over and kicked her with his feet.

She could see that there was a bit of an emotion in his face. His forehead was creased slightly and his mouth strained faintly to one side. Hanabi couldn't be more joyous even though she would collapse from exhaustion herself.

They stood facing each other for a long time, as if using the peaceful time they had to gain back their energy. The people around them seemed to be holding their breath. Surprisingly, his eyes were diverted from Hanabi to something behind her. She took the chance and attacked him. He was hit in the chest but regained his concentration and blocked all the other attacks.

"I will win!" she grunted as she kept landing blows. If she stopped, she wouldn't be able to do anything more. If he even punched her in the slightest she wouldn't have the chance to protect herself. Luckily for her, Hayabusa's blocks were faltering and getting slower. She was so close that she could hear his breath as he forced himself to keep up with her. His eyes darting left and right to look for more incoming blows. Fortunately for him, no knee would come from underneath as Hanabi was struggling enough to support her whole weight.

Enough was enough. Both were desperate to end the match and both were desperate to become the winner. Hayabusa voice echoed throughout the hall as he grabbed the shirt around Hanabi's shoulder and flipped her over his back. He was surprisingly strong given that she was a little bigger than her. The girl's legs weren't strong enough to stop the momentum and she fell onto her back.

 _I lose._ Hanabi's mind was dizzy from the impact on the floor as she tried to comprehend that, for the first time ever, she lost a sparring match. She couldn't find it in her to get up so she just lay on the ground. She opened her eyes and saw that her opponent was kneeling over her, beads of sweat dotted his nose and forehead and he was panting as hard as a dog after a run on a summer day. The view of him from Hanabi's point upside down. Even though his eyes were on her, they were unfocused and was seeing something else. As if looking through her at the floorboards. His hands on each side of her head were shaking violently, almost about to collapse on her.

"The winner of this year's friendly Scarlet Shadow match is Hayabusa from the Shadow Sect," Chiyo sensei announced.

The hall erupted in applause.

Not having the strength to celebrate her place as first runner-up, Hanabi closed her eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

Kagura swelled up with pride as she watched Hayabusa's amazed face while he watched the little pink dust flitting temporarily into the air before coming down and distinguished. Since she had inherited her umbrella, she had tried her best to learn the powers that her family possessed from ancient books and her father, and her efforts to summon even a speckle of it had proved to be excellent, as her father had praised her.

They were sitting in the front garden of Kagura's family mansion. The sun was shining brightly in the sky and dragonflies buzzed lazily over the pond where even the terrapins emerged to bathed in the warmth.

"That was impressive," Hayabusa said.

"Thanks!" Kagura grinned. "One day, once you become a ninja, I can go with you into battle!" She swiped her hand as if summoning a breeze to blow off Hayabusa. He swiped off her hand playfully. "Don't you believe me? I can be as strong as you too."

"You already are strong, with or without your powers," Hayabusa said, still sitting cross-legged on the ground in front of her.

Kagura tossed her braided white hair over her shoulder. Her expression grew serious as she spoke, "I'm afraid I won't be able to live up to my grandmother. She was so powerful and the whole village looked up to her; and my father too! He had to assist help if he was needed and the council always included him in all their important meetings. Do you think, once I grow up, I'll have to attend those boring meetings too?"

Hayabusa brushed his messy hair out of his eyes. "Since you'll be that powerful once you've grown up, you don't have to attend any of those silly meetings. You can do whatever you want."

Kagura smiled at him gratefully. There was always something comforting when she talked with him about her troubles or uncertainties. "You did really well during that last match with the Scarlet girl."

"Oh." Hayabusa raised his arm and twisted it, grimacing a little. "It still hurts. She was really good too. I doubted at first whether or not I would be able to beat her." Dark bruises can be seen on his legs and he earned a light scratch on his neck.

Kagura gently rested her fingers on the scratch and she said sweetly, "Hayabusa will always be the best. I've known it since I first saw you spar." She turned her concentration of her fingers as she felt his skin and muttered something under her breath. Hayabusa didn't say anything as he only looked at her curiously, wondering what she was doing. A soft pink light formed in between her fingers and he flinched back a little but remained in contact. When she withdrew, her face dropped with a look of disappointment to see that she had done nothing to do scratch.

Hayabusa placed his hands over it. "Don't worry about it. It'll heal."

Just then, the gates slammed open and a horse stopped just inches from the opening. Its rider jumped down from its back and ran up to the front doors. Kagura and Hayabusa watched the stranger's pursuit in shock. From the clothes he was wearing, they assumed he was a messenger. Kagura's father emerged from the double doors almost immediately as the messenger bowed at the steps. He was out of breath as if he was the one who ran, not the horse.

"My lord, Nakahara," the messenger said breathlessly. His face was a look of horror. Kagura had stood up to join her father but he beckoned her to stay where she stood. "I have come to deliver a message from the council, from the patrol set out to retrieve the party traveling south-east from here."

"What has happened?" her father asked.

"All of them-" The messenger looked as if he was struggling to get the words out. "Dead, my lord. All of them-murdered."

Kagura gasped, unable to believe what she had heard. She had known little information of the group of ninjas sent out to complete a duty, except that among them was Hanzo, the best ninja they had seen in centuries, and another Scarlet who was supposed to duel against Hanzo for the title of the Scarlet Shadow Grandmaster the following year. With two of the best ninjas in the mission, how could the mission fail? And much worse, how could all of them be murdered?

Her father's face was contorted in anger. "Murdered? How can that be?" he roared. "Who was the murderer? Are all of them dead?"

The messenger flinched under her father's fury. "No, my lord. All but one. H-Hanzo lived. All were slain, but not as gruesome as the Scarlet that was supposed to be competing against him. His body was disfigured upon recognition, and as for the murderer," he was stammering more than usual now. "The council believed it was Hanzo himself."

"What?!" her father yelled with fury that even Kagura stepped back. She bumped into Hayabusa who has also taken an interest in the news, his face, as usual, looked indifferent as if he couldn't care less but Kagura knew him enough to know that he was as shocked as her. Without realising it, he had gripped her arm tightly and Kagura could feel him shaking slightly.

"It-it's true, my lord," the messenger said. "They found his knives on the site, covered with the blood of his former squad. They do not know why he hadn't bothered to clean it up, heard they said it was probably because he knew there was no chance of escaping the accusations."

Kagura's father summoned a servant to bring him his horse. "Do they know his intentions?"

The messenger shook his head frantically. "No, my lord. The search party has scoured the area as wide as they could risk it and they confirmed that Hanzo was heading east. They had found traces of blood and marks on the barks of trees."

"East?" her father said. Then his face dawned his realisation. "He's heading to the Land of Dawn."

The messenger hid his face in his hands and suppressed a whimper. Kagura had heard stories about the land of dawn, from her parents, her siblings and folks from the village. It was a land of desolation, of disharmony and of evil. Once he had crossed over in the Land of Dawn, Iga's laws and authorities would no longer be bound to him. He would escape punishment as long as he remained there.

The servant arrived, tugging the reins of her father's large horse. Her father took the reins and mounted the strong steed. The horse snorted as he waited impatiently for the signal to run. "I must inform the council. Has anyone been dispatched to chase after him?"

"None, my lord."

"Then I must go." He clicked his tongue and the horse galloped at top speed out of the grounds, the messenger sprinting as fast as he could to his own horse.

Hayabusa released his grip and Kagura felt the blood returning to her hand. "What's going to happen?" she asked him. The thought of her father involving in such an heinous drama twisted her stomach in worry.

Hayabusa bent down to pick her umbrella which was laid on the ground and handed it to her. "Hanzo will be caught and punished," he said. "No one escapes crime without punishment before."

Kagura accepted her umbrella and held it with both hands. "Why?" was all she could whisper.

Even Hayabusa was silent.


	5. Chapter 5

Classes were cancelled for the rest of the month and Hanabi was stuck at home. She was so bored on most days and her pent-up energy was asking for destruction.

"Hanabi!" Her mother scolded her, after checking on her outside. "You broke the flower pot!"

"It fell," Hanabi made a stupid excuse.

"Flower pots don't fall on its own. It has been there since the day you were born."

"Well, it grew old and collapsed on itself," Hanabi defended herself. "It's ugly anyway."

Hanabi couldn't see why classes had to be cancelled just because a murderer was on the loose. If anything, there should be _more_ classes so they could learn to defend themselves.

She couldn't stop thinking of that day when she was defeated. _Defeated by a Shadow boy._ She growled in frustration and slumped on the floor.

How could she lost? Especially to someone like him? He didn't look victorious. He didn't produce any emotions! He _didn't_ deserve to be the winner.

One day, she would defeat him. Yes. To restore the glory back to the Scarlet Sect. She would defeat the Shadow and become the next Scarlet Shadow Grandmaster.

"Hanabi! Where did my broom go?" Her mother's voice echoed from inside the house.

Hanabi glanced beside her at two pieces of splintered wood that laid on the ground.

* * *

As planned, classes resumed the following month. But this time, the classes were combined with the students from the Shadow Sect. Which means Hayabusa was there.

Hanabi's slitted eyes followed his movements. Watching his every move, looking for weaknesses. At best, a weakness.

The Shadow Sect sensei, Kenji, was in charge. The Great Grandmasters we're still tackling the problem of the runaway Shadow. The village masters had no powers in the Land of Dawn, no allies and no information. Their home was secluded in a large land and in the middle was the village. They never had the need to venture out. All their food and resources were provided from within the land.

They trained the whole day, to catch up on the time they missed. Hanabi was able to release her energy she tried to keep in for so long. She couldn't wait to spar with the Shadow again.

But it turned out there was no sparring on that day and Hanabi was disappointed.

"Akane-san!" Misaki bounded over to her. Her face was covered in sweat. "I haven't seen you for so long."

Hanabi greeted her. "Nice to see you again too, Misaki."

"Training from morning to nearly dusk, it wears out my muscles after staying indoors for so long," Misaki said. "At least you're staying fit, Akane-san. You've been more energetic than the last time class."

Hanabi couldn't tell her about her one-sided competition with the Shadow student. Besides, she and Misaki were merely classmates.

All the students were dispersing into the village square. Among them was Hayabusa. The image of Hayabusa thanking her the day of the competition never left her mind. Why did he say thank you? She needed to talk to him.

"I need to go, Misaki," Hanabi apologized. "I have somewhere I need to be."

Hanabi silently raced down the path but kept a safe distance from the walking figure of Hayabusa. His gait was steady, purposeful. As if there was somewhere important he needed to go. Hanabi slowed to a walk but increased her pace so she could keep up to him.

When she was finally walking beside him shoulder to shoulder, she spoke, "Hi."

Hayabusa looked at her, his facial expression blank as if he knew she had been following him the whole time. "Hello."

 _What next?_ Hanabi hadn't really thought of what to say to him. "You're the one at the friendly match."

"And you're the one who got second place."

 _Boy, he's good._ "What do you mean by 'thanks'?" She decided to go straight to the point.

"I merely meant what it means. Thank you."

His tone was monotonous. A flat and empty tone.

"Thank you for what?" Hanabi pressed.

Hayabusa looked at her once more and Hanabi's heart skipped a beat. Her whole chest warmed up. "Thank you for putting up a good fight. I may have underestimated you at the beginning."

Hanabi couldn't help feeling a little proud of herself. But she refused to let it show. "What do you mean you underestimated me? Didn't you see how good I was at training?"

"Most of the time I was paying attention to Kenji sensei's lessons."

 _He's so boring._ "Where are you going?"

"Home."

"Where?"

"At the edge of the village."

"Why?"

"Don't you need to go home too?"

Hanabi tugged at her shirt in frustration. This conversation was going nowhere. "I'm going now then," she declared. "So I'll see you tomorrow." She turned around and walked away.

"Hanabi."

She stopped and looked over her shoulder. "I look forward to sparring with you again," Hayabusa said, his face still a blank expression which Hanabi wanted to wipe off so badly.

Her chest tightened up and her face flushed. She turned back around and quickened her pace, wanting to get away from Hayabusa's point of view.


	6. Chapter 6

The sky was covered in a thick blanket of grey clouds. Rain would be coming in the night. The sun was dipping below the roofs of the houses and Hayabusa was still nowhere in sight.

Kagura paced the garden in front of the mansion, her grandmother's precious umbrella clutches in her hands.

"It's time to go inside," her father's grave voice spoke. "It'll be dark soon."

A strong wind blew in from the west, putting out some of the lanterns that hung outside the house. Kagura's fringe was blown across her eyes and she parted it with a hand to both sides of her face. "But it's not safe," she whimpered, too soft for her father to hear. She locked her eyes on the front gate again, waiting for it to reveal the frail body of the boy.

"If I see him, I'll tell that you're waiting for him," one of the house's servants said to her, bowing her head. Her father had gone inside to prepare.

Kagura shifted her feet. News had been spreading that Kurou, the Shadow traitor had been sighted outside the boundaries of the village. He hadn't been planning to escape to the Land of Dawn after all. Her father, as the head of the most powerful family in the village, was called to attend a meeting and probably confront the Shadow. If the news was true, and Kurou was lurking just outside the village, without knowing why he did what he did, everyone was in danger — Scarlet and Shadows alike.

"Kagura!" One of her sisters called, she was standing outside on the porch. "What are you doing there? Get in right now."

Even though she was the eldest sister, Kagura paid very little heed to her. However, she admired her older sister's mature beauty and long, straight silver hair.

"Are you still waiting for that boy? He's not coming. All of them leave eventually once you turn ugly."

 _There she goes again. Acting like she knows everything._ Kagura rolled her eyes and tighten her grip on the umbrella, resisting the temptation to throw it at her sister's pretty face.

The heavy gates creaked open and Hayabusa's small head peered around the edge. Kagura cried his name and ran across the path and lunges herself at him, engulfing him in a hug.

"Your lessons today were longer than usual," she said as she stepped away from him.

"Kagura," the servant reminded her gently.

"Come inside, right now," Kagura ordered without allowing Hayabusa to speak. The servant followed them into the house and shut the front door. "You left me worrying, you know."

"What's going on?" Hayabusa's face was a look of confusion. His expression changed suddenly when he saw how worried Kagura looked. "Is something wrong?"

"Kurou's back," Kagura whispered, barely allowing the words to escape. "I don't know what will happen tonight, Hayabusa. My father will be attending a meeting with the Grandmasters and I'm afraid something will happen." She shifted her gaze to the ground. "I don't feel okay when you're at the dormitory. At least, when you're here, I can be assured that you're safe." She refused the voice her most selfish desire — that she wanted him to be with her so she herself could feel safe.

"But I can't come to your house every time, Kagura," Hayabusa objected. "Even if a murderer is among us, I can't hang out around your family's place just because I want to."

"No! I want you to," she cried. She gulped down her tears as she thought of what to say next. Hayabusa didn't understand how much he meant to her. She could be the prettiest, the wealthiest woman in the whole world and still, she knew she would never be as close to someone as she was with Hayabusa. When she was younger, she had grown acquainted to some of the other children in the village but none of them lasted very long. Most of them were too daunted by her high status and unusual white hair, even her accent was different from theirs and soon, they excluded her from all of their fun and games. Often, she sat in the shadows in the center of the village and watched as all the children played their games. And always, she longed to be a part of it. She never had the chance to experience the fun the other children were feeling, until she met Hayabusa. She still remembered the first time she met him; it was during the summer festival and she was adorned in a very expensive dress. She always lingered with the adults because no other children wanted to be with her. A boy in a simple blue yukata helped her when she lost sight of her parents and gotten lost in the crowd. All they could see were a jungle of legs as strangers walked pass, ignoring the two children and yet, determined, Hayabusa managed to find her family.

Kagura wiped her eyes, refusing to act like a baby in front of him. "It's not safe out there," she said. "You'll be safe here. I'll protect you." She said it to herself more than to Hayabusa. The shadows danced across his face as he stared at her. She grabbed his hand. Even though he was still merely a kid, there were callouses forming and he had bruised his palm. Such ugly things and she still found comfort in holding it. She closed her eyes and felt warmth coming from her own hands. A soft orange glow penetrated the lids of her eyes and she opened them to see that her hand was emitting light. Hayabusa watched with a curious and amazed look and Kagura smiled softly to herself, finding satisfaction that he could feel this way towards her and not only the other way around. Their hands were still held tight and the light seemed to be singing a song to itself that reminded her of happiness and love. When the glow faded and Hayabusa withdrew his hand, he inspected it carefully and rubbed his other hand across his knuckles.

"My bruises..." he whispered, his eyes alive with wonder. "They're gone."

Kagura's heart fluttered. She never knew she could do something like that. "And your callouses?"

"They're still there."

Her face dropped with disappointment.

Hayabusa noticed it and smiled reassuringly. "Some scars never fade. It's a sign of what you've been through and could be seen as an achievement. I don't want it to go away."

Albeit his weird statement, Kagura returned his smile.

* * *

There were a distant commotion in the dark as rain poured heavily from outside. Lightning flashed across the sky and a woman screamed.

Kagura huddled under the flower-patterned kotatsu in her room, wrapped tightly in her blanket with only her face poking out. Hayabusa lifted the futon and Kagura shied from him. Her eyes were shiny with tears which she tried so hard to keep in. She had promised Hayabusa that she would be the one to protect him and in the end, she was the crybaby.

But she couldn't help it. There was a battle going on and for all she knew her father was involved. Her mother had ushered the both of them and the rest of her siblings into their own rooms and made the servants blow out all the lights hanging outside and allowing each bedroom to have only one lantern. Her mother tried to take the umbrella away from Kagura, for safekeeping but after much persuasion her mother allowed her to keep it.

"Do not be afraid to unleash your powers," she said and kissed her forehead before going to the rooms of her other children. Kagura nodded bravely and pushed to the back of her mind the fact that she barely had any powers other than the heal and sparks that cause as much damage as a firecracker, and levitate her umbrella. She didn't see how much help that could do.

"Are you okay?" Hayabusa asked her, bending under the kotatsu.

Kagura nodded but she was shivering.

Hayabusa crept in and joined her. When his skin touched Kagura's she was surprised to find that it was cold. She looked at him but under the dark of their make-pretend shelter, she couldn't see much of him. "What is going on?" she whispered.

Hayabusa shook his head, afraid to answer. He gathered his knees in his arms and lay in a foetal position on the floor. It was the first time she saw him looking so afraid and submissive, it was a side of him she never encountered and it looked so foreign she hated it. He looked like a small child waiting to be picked up by his mother. As far as Kagura knew about his family, which he only talked about to her once, both of his parents were dead and that left his paternal uncle as the only known survivor (at least, to Hayabusa) of his clan. He never had a mother figure and his uncle looked after him until he was at the minimum age to start training. Kagura reached out her hand and stroked his forehead, wiping his hair out of his face and curling them behind his ear. He didn't move, allowing her to do so. _He must be so afraid._

Kagura unwrapped her blanket and tossed it over Hayabusa. She felt him shift as if looking up at her. "My mother told me of a story of a crane."

"A crane?"

"Yeah. They are big white birds and they're really beautiful."

"I know what a crane is. They're just birds."

"But birds can be beautiful too!"

Silence. Even the clamouring from outside had begun to cease.

"So, what about this crane?" Hayabusa encouraged.

"My mother said that there was once a man who did a good deed for a crane, and one day a beautiful woman appeared in his doorsteps during winter. They married and despite being poor, they lead a happy life."

"That's all?" Hayabusa pushed when she paused.

"No, you dummy! I was trying to remember the story," Kagura scolded him playfully. She noticed that the rain had stopped and her spirits were lifted a little as she continued her story. "And when the man became ill, she weaved beautiful cloth just so they could afford medicine. She weaved day and night and each day, her husband became more and more ill. "

"That's just silly. You told me the story was about a crane."

"It is!"

"There's no crane!"

"You're being too impatient," Kagura whined. "The woman weaved tirelessly to get more medicine for her sickly husband who became a little bit better after earning enough money for the medicine. Her cloth was the talk of the town because it was so beautiful. Out of curiousity, one day her husband decided to peak at her. He saw not his wife, but a crane in her place at the loom, bloodied and featherless. The crane plucked out its last feather to weave into the cloth. After discovering her true identity, the crane left the man and he swore he would always love her."

They were silent for a long time and Kagura thought Hayabusa had fallen asleep.

"Why did she leave?" Hayabusa queried.

"I don't know. Could it be because he found who she truly was? My mother said that it was because she used the last of her feathers."

"But that didn't make sense, she needs her feathers to fly."

"It's just a story!"

"A sad one. I don't like sad stories," Hayabusa insisted. "Here, I'll make one for you." He sat up and draped the blanket over Kagura's shoulders and raised her arms as if they're wings. "The husband found out about the crane and he was awestruck and fell more in love with her."

Kagura giggled and flapped her makeshift wings. "She turned back into a woman, more beautiful than ever."

"Because she made a huge sacrifice for the one she loves."

"Her last masterpiece was able to earn a large amount of money."

"And they lived happily until the end. No one got separated," Hayabusa concluded. "There. That's a much better story."

Kagura laughed heartily. "It sure is."


	7. Chapter 7

The sun rose red above the sky and an eerie calm settled over the village. No one dared venture out of their houses. The commotion of battle had stopped somewhere in the night but that didn't mean it was safe. Kagura's father still hadn't returned and with each passing hour, she grew more and more worried. Somehow, the two of them managed to fall into an uneasy sleep in their futons. When Hayabusa woke up, Kagura was already sitting up in hers, cradling her family's heirloom in her arms. Her hair was messy which was a rare sight and her skin was paler than usual.

"Good morning." Kagura managed a smile. "How was your sleep?"

Hayabusa strained his ears. "They've stopped."

She nodded but the worried look did not recede from her face.

The servants came in to serve them breakfast. Kagura's mother came in a moment later.

"Where's father?" Kagura asked.

Her mother combed her daughters hair with her fingers. Her eyes were bagged and red, and she looked really tired. "He has not come home yet," she whispered, her lips quivering.

Kagura let out a soft whimper and engulfed herself in her mother's embrace. Hayabusa stood awkwardly to the side, staring at the divider that led outside. He should leave them alone for a while. He pushed back the lock and forcefully pushed back the divider. He was met with a cool, fresh air and he relished in it. It was impossible to believe blood was shed that night. However, there were a few things that was out of the ordinary other than the silence of the villagers; there were no birdsong, no wind, and even though Kagura's household was just behind him, the atmosphere of the place felt lonely and malevolent. Two guards stood between the gates inside the compound and several others around the perimeter of the place. When one of them spotted Hayabusa, he gave him a nod.

"What are you doing out here?" A voice spoke from beside him.

Hayabusa startled and spun around to see an older version of Kagura. _Her sister?_ "I was just going back in -"

"You're not welcome here," she said without letting him finish. "Father is out all night protecting his home, his family. Not a stranger like you." She stood over him, her posture filled with arrogance. Her arms were crossed and her face, very much unlike Kagura's, was stern and long. Her facial features were much sharper and her face was caked with so much make up it was impossible to cover up her horse-like features.

Hayabusa had no idea how Kagura can put up with an older sibling like her. Even in this dire situation, she could find an excuse to act so selfishly. He got up and dusted his pants. "I'll go."

He could've swore she snorted like a horse with a satisfied look on her face. Kagura's sister watched as he crossed the courtyard to the gate.

One of the guards stopped him. "It's dangerous out there," he said, holding out an arm over Hayabusa's chest to stop him. "You better remain inside."

The boy looked over his shoulder at the slender figure of the lady who shooed him away. She stood still at the platform, unsatiated until he was out of her sight. Hayabusa gritted his teeth in frustration. "I have to go," he insisted. "My parents will be worried about me."

The guard uneasily lowered his hand and allowed him to exit the gate. He squeezed through the small opening and once outside, he ducked into the shadows of the high walls where about a dozen other guards stood to protect Kagura's family grounds. A few of them glanced at Hayabusa but none stopped him. His footsteps sounded ominous in the deafening silence and he didn't realise how empty the village was until he was in it. No life stirred and no sound came from inside the houses. It was a ghost town. The rain from the night before had left the sky clear and sunny. Finally, he reached the town area by keeping to the shadows of the alleyways. A few carts were toppled over and some crates were broken into splinters. Shields and swords littered the ground and an undeniable scent of blood lingered in the air. Hayabusa looked at the ground between his feet where a dark patch of dried blood had spilled. He suddenly found it hard to catch his breath. The attacker was nowhere in sight, so were the defenders. He staggered and caught himself on the wall, beads of sweat formed on his head and his breath was coming out a lot harder.

 _Hanzo was here._ His vision blurred again.

 _He was the best ninja in Iga. His tournament was overdue._ His legs began to shake.

 _He murdered a Scarlet._ He felt like he was about to throw up.

 _He wanted to kill the Grandmasters, and Kagura's father._

All hope that Hanzo was just defending himself and hid in shame vanished. He wanted more to become Grandmaster. But what was it that he desire so much he was willing to risk and sacrifice everything?

A hand touched his arm and his body was immediately fueled by fear and adrenaline. He swiped the hand off and turned around in a defend stance. Hanabi stepped out of the shadows. Relief flooded over Hayabusa and his energy seeped away.

* * *

When Hayabusa woke, he was in a house. Not as grand and expensive as Kagura's but adequate and cozy. The divider that led outside was locked and he was all alone. He felt like a prisoner.

He sat up and his head spun. He groaned softly and pressed his palm against his head. He coudln't forget what he had seen in the town and what he had concluded from Hanzo's attacks. What had he wanted? The more he thought about it, the more he seemed to sink into the darkness.

The divider that led to the inside of the house slid open and Hanabi peeked her head inside. She smiled mischievously. "I'm not the only one who's curious about the night's activities." She entered the room and in her hands was a cup. "You suddenly blacked out so I had to bring you here all on my own. Even though you're smaller than me, you're not very light, you know. And it was hard enough to bring you all the way here without having to sneak you into the house." She placed the cup beside him. "Green tea," she explained.

"Wait, you brought me here without permission?"

"Yeah, my mom's going to be furious when she finds out that I have a Shadow boy hiding in my room. I couldn't ask for help on how to treat you so I just placed a wet towel over your head." She pointed at a rolled out towel on his lap which might have dropped when he sat up. "How are you feeling?"

Hayabusa drank the green tea and the warm feeling never felt so good. He needed something comforting now. Anything. "Thank you, Hanabi." His dizziness had receded and he felt decent enough to stand up. "But I'm afraid I can't stay here. I don't want you to get into trouble."

Hanabi pursed her lips together. "Hey, you're my rival. So, if you're not feeling any better then I would not have anyone equally good enough to duel with," she said.

Hayabusa was surprised how she can bring up about their rivalry right now. "I'm fine now. Thank you." Was he mistaken or was there a look of disappointment in her eyes?

Hanabi played with her fingers a little bit. "What do you think will happen?" she said, barely above a whisper. "Now that Hanzo's here and..."

The boy pushed back the bedspreads and stood up. "To be honest, I don't know. I'm sorry, but I have to go now."

Hanabi watched as he walked shakily out of the room. Then stood up to guide him to the front of the house. "You know, he's still out there," she said softly so as to not let alert her mother of their presence. They shuffled quietly across the seemingly empty house. "We could search for him on our own."

The stupid idea seemed to enlighten Hayabusa. The only place he could return to was the dorm and after that, all he could do was wait and hope cluelessly. "Really?" he looked at Hanabi for confirmation. Her face was dead serious and her eyes were filled with determination. He nodded. "Okay then. Let's go."

Once they were outside, they immediately made their way to the centre of Iga (because Hanabi guessed that's the best chance where they would find the aftermath of the battle) by staying in what little shade was provided by the houses. Hayabusa guessed that he hadn't passed out for that long because it was only near noon. Hanabi took the lead as she sprinted across the open space into the shade of some overgrowth. Hayabusa followed more slowly, his energy seeping in with every step, his body slowly fueled with adrenaline.

Suddenly, their path was cut short by a wide dirt path leading over the edge of the village into the fields below. Hanabi and Hayabusa peeked around the corner and his eyes widened in shock. Where there should be acres of plantation was now a wasteland of burned soil. The village grew most of their crops here, and just below the hill there should be the Orchid Garden where trees bore every fruit you can imagine, in its place were stumps of burned wood. Hayabusa heard Hanabi inhaled sharply. She had no doubt thought what he had been thinking. With their main food supply gone, the village would plunge into a famine for months.

Hayabusa nudged Hanabi to break her trance and she shook her head slightly. She looked at him and nodded. They had to know what was happening, or what has happened. The curiousity was biting the both of them at being kept in the dark for so long. They dashed across the open path, careful not to let anyone see them and kept in the shade again, drawing nearer and nearer to the village centre. Beads of sweat were forming on Hayabusa's forehead and just when he thought he would collapse from exhaustion before reaching their destination, he bumped into Hanabi who had stopped at the edge of a long row of closed shops. Hayabusa looked around him and was surprised that he hadn't noticed that the closer they were to the centre, the more havoc that was wrecked. Faces of buildings had been burnt and wooden pillars were broken into splinters; spears and arrows littered the ground and droplets of blood can be seen on the stone path. A feeling of dread settled at the pit of his stomach.

Just then, he heard noises. Sounds of metal clanking together and heavy footsteps. Three or so foot soldiers marched passed and the two of them shrank into the shadows. "Should we follow them?" asked Hayabusa once they had marched out of earshot.

Hanabi peered around the wall and whispered back, "I think so."

They ducked out of the shadows and, keeping a safe distance from the soldiers, they followed them, ducking behind pillars and walls from time to time when they thought they were in dan ger. Finally, from the remains of the first vendor, Hayabusa knew they had reached the centre where a huge marketplace should be. He pulled Hanabi behind a brush and put his fingers to his lips. Men's voices sounded to his ears and he recognised one of them to be Kagura's father. He was flooded with relief, knowing that he was still alive. He could break the news to Kagura and ease her worries. _Unless her sister stops me from entering their home_ , he thought bitterly remembering her horse-like face.

"How many have we lost?" asked Kagura's father.

"Too many," a soft voice said. Hayabusa had trouble discerning whether the person whom the voice belonged to was male or female. He had to strain his ears to hear what words were muttered out of his or her mouth. "Even with the help of the most powerful forces of Iga, Hanzo cannot be banished. In fact, the Grandmasters have said that he had gotten so much stronger than they had even thought possible."

"Does any of them know where he had flee?" Kagura's father asked.

Another soldier joined in their conversation. "Flee is a massive understatement, my lord. Hanzo had only laughed at the fallen bodies of the soldiers and disappeared into shadows."

"Did he leave any traces? Any clues as to where we might find him?"

Silence followed Kagura's father question, meaning there were none. Hayabusa and Hanabi were almost holding their breath and they listened to their conversation. He could feel Hanabi shaking as she pressed herself against him. He gripped her shoulders, trying to comfort her, but how could he when he couldn't even comfort himself?

"Tend the injured," a familiar voice boomed with authority. "We bury the dead tonight. Send word to all the villagers that none shall leave their shelter until we are sure that the danger has passed, and none shall venture outside alone."

"Kenji sensei," Hayabusa breathed. Did he participate in the battle last night? Was he okay? He tried to restrain himself from peeking over the brush. From the sound of it, he seemed unharmed but he knew that the teacher was elderly. Even though he had been strict with Hayabusa over the past years, he couldn't help being fond of him.

He felt Hanabi tugging on his sleeves and he looked down at her and she mouthed, "Let's go." But Hayabusa didn't want to go, he wanted to stay and help, stay and fight if he must. Hanabi was tugging on his shirt more urgently now when Kenji sensei spoke again, this time his voice was much closer. "I went to check on my students last night and one of them have gone missing. I'm afraid what has become of him. Any chance you have heard of Hayabusa, Lord Nakahara?"

"Hayabusa was granted shelter in my land," Kagura's father said reassuringly. "Though I must say, such disobedient students who doesn't inform their teachers of their whereabouts must be punished, especially ones in your school, Kenji."

"Ah, Hayabusa was never a boy looking for mischief," Kenji sensei said, a hint of amusement in his voice. "If I may, I think the boy has grown rather fond of your daughter."

"Such careless talk is most unheard of in the aftermath of battle!" the second indistinguishable voice retorted. "How disrespectful!"

"Please, Ueda, I am merely concerned of my missing pupil. Such talent shouldn't go unnoticed. His father would be proud of what he has and will become."

Such little memories Hayabusa had of his father, he wanted to confront Kenji sensei right there and then to ask for more. He looked between Hanabi in bewilderment and the brush in between them and the voices. Hanabi saw the look on his face and she stopped tugging, her expression changing to sympathy.

A sharp pain jabbed him in the side of his ribs and he doubled up in pain, groaning. "Hayabusa!" he heard Hanabi yell. Tears lined his eyes and he gritted his teeth. He looked up to see the faces of Kagura's father, Kenji sensei and Ueda (definitely male, with long silver whiskers), looking down at him, their expressions unreadable from the tears in his eyes, except Ueda who had a look of astonishment.

"I expect you heard all of that?" said Kenji sensei, he was carrying a long stick of wood which he had used to jab at Hayabusa through the bushes. "And I do think that is a fair enough punishment for someone who was dropping eaves on our conversation, and outside in the midst of chaos, nonetheless!" He looked at Kagura's father who nodded, a grim expression on his face.

Hayabusa muttered an apology once the pain eased. "I was just wanting to find out what was going on," he said.

"And if Hanzo was still around, the both of you would be in serious danger," Kenji sensei continued, now eyeing Hanabi who was standing with her head down in shame. "I'll ask a guard to escort you back to your house, after informing Chiyo. And you, Hayabusa, will return to the -"

"He can take refuge in my residence, as he did the night before," Kagura's father cut in. "If I may have your permission, Master Kenji?"

Kenji sensei looked at Kagura's father with a mild look of disbelief, then he recovered himself quickly and cleared his throat. "As you wish, my lord."

Hanabi and Hayabusa separated, exchanging sorry looks. He followed Kagura's father to the shelter of a vendor that was still quite intact and he muttered his apology again.

"That was very irresponsible of you to venture out like that," he scolded Hayabusa as if he was his own son. "Where is Kagura?"

"I didn't bring her with me, sir. Honest," Hayabusa said. "I left alone and came across Hanabi. We wanted to know what was going on so we went off without second thoughts."

Kagura's father heaved a great sigh. He bent down until he reached Hayabusa's eye level and said, "Your father would be most disappointed if he knew what his son had done today."

Hayabusa looked up in surprise. "You knew my father?"

Kagura's father nodded slowly, his eyes were shining. "Alas, this is not the time for stories. Return to the gates, I will have one of my guards to escort you."

"Won't you come home too?"

"I am very busy. I expect my family are worried sick?" Hayabusa nodded. Kagura's father's face softened. "I'll be back on the fifth day once we tried to settle all this down as best as we can. Assuming Hanzo won't be coming back any time soon, tell Kagura not to worry about me." Upon seeing the look of dissatisfaction on the boy's face, he added, more softly, "And I'll tell you all I know about your father." He summoned a guard and ordered him to take Hayabusa back.

While they were crossing the marketplace, Hayabusa couldn't help noticing that a dark pool of blood had spilled on the ground in some place more than others, accompanied by frenzied slashes across stone and wood.

* * *

 **Happy New Year!**

 **I'm so glad if you enjoyed my fanfiction! Reading your comments made me so happy and I hope I get the time to write more often for you guys. I started this prior to Hanzo's released and since now that he has entered the battlefied, it would be much easier to write about him than to guess what his powers would be. I just looked back at my previous chapters and realised that Chapter 4 is missing and so there was a huge plothole in between Chapter 3 and 5! I'm so sorry! I will fix it immediately! Please look forward to more chapters!**


	8. Chapter 8

**I've updated Chapter 4! Please continue enjoying the story and don't forget to leave a review.**

* * *

Hayabusa waited impatiently under the roof of Kagura's father mansion. As he had expected, her eyes were flooded with tears of relief when he told her that her father had been unharmed and that he should be returning on the fifth day.

"I'm so glad," Kagura wept as she rushed off to inform her mother. A servant approached Hayabusa after that to show him to his own living quarters since he would be staying with them for a while. He had wished that his stay in the Nakahara house would be as luxuriated as he hoped but the story of his own father that Kagura's father had promised him seemed to prod his thoughts every time he was unoccupied, and adding to the fact that he couldn't do much while trapped in his room made him feel restless. Kagura came to visit him but on most occasions, she seemed distracted by something else. Hayabusa couldn't blame her what with Hanzo on the loose and her father being away from home. He had tried to reassure her one day that Hanzo couldn't possibly hurt her father as he would be surrounded by the Grandmasters of the village and soldiers willing to protect them.

But Kagura shook her head. This time, she had a book clutched to her chest. She had left her precious umbrella back in her chamber. "I just thought, that if I could master my powers quickly, I could help him," she said softly. She placed the leather-bound book on the low table in between them so that Hayabusa could see the ancient runes illustrated on its cover. "If grandmother was here, she could've done something," Kagura continued heavily. "And now, since the powers are passed down to me, the whole village would've expected something from me."

"If your grandmother thought that you weren't up for it, she wouldn't pass the umbrella's powers down to you," Hayabusa said firmly. "You should stop worrying about other people, Kagura. It's okay to be a little selfish."

Kagura laughed a little, a bit half-heartedly. "Not everyone is like you, Hayabusa."

"I'm telling you, you should work at your own pace to hone your powers. Kenji sensei always told me that giving birth to a baby is easier than worrying about it ***** **."** Kagura looked at him confusedly for a moment before he had to explain, "It means that sometimes, your fears are worse than the actual threat. So stop worrying so much."

Footsteps on the wooden floor outside his room made both of them turn their heads towards the sound and the door slid cautiously open. Kagura's sister's head peered around the corner and her mouth was forced into an ugly grin. "Again with your lover, Kagura?" Hayabusa couldn't push away the anger he felt. He felt that her sister was just finding more ways to bully the both of them. He felt the longing to express his annoyance to Kagura but he knew that she looked up to her, however unbearable she was.

This time, her long hair was tied into a low ponytail with a few loose strands and Hayabusa thought she looked like a ghost of a witch seeking vengeance for her murdered husband. Her long, narrowed features made it seemed like her face was about to be elongated in a piercing scream. He found amusement in his own thoughts and decided that that was a secret Kagura should never and would never found out.

"Oh, Moriko," Kagura said. "You shouldn't be dropping eaves!"

"I am merely watching over my little sister," her sister said unconvincingly, her nasty smile growing wider. She had revealed her whole body in the gap between the doors and she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Mother wouldn't want her precious daughter to be betrothed to a bothersome boy?"

"Sister!' Kagura scolded her, and she closed the door and went on her way. Kagura turned to Hayabusa and said, "You know she was only teasing, right?"

Hayabusa thought that teasing seemed to be an understatement. Since his first meeting with her sister, he had decided to stay out of her way; but since she still found him troublesome even when he barely even saw her, he decided that he shouldn't even bother to try anymore. "Are you going to read?" he asked, nodding at Kagura's book.

"Oh," Kagura looked as if she had forgotten the book was there. "Well, I thought we could do this together."

"Together?"

"Yeah, studying alone is pretty boring. I just want your company." She flipped open the book to a bookmarked page and started reading its contents. There were illustrations of runes and diagrams and charts of the skies. Hayabusa saw no reason why she should be learning those kind of things but he didn't interject. He leaned in to read some of the characters but realised that they were so old, he could barely recognised some of them.

"How old is this book?"

"My father told me this was one of the revised editions from the first age. It was my great-great-grandfather's. I learned to read some of the old characters since I was little." Kagura pointed to one of the strange characters. "Like this one; this one means _wood_ ; and that one over there literally translates to _shine on horizon_. I think it means dawn; or is it dusk?"

Hayabusa allowed his mind to wander while Kagura noticed that he hadn't been paying attention and absorbed herself into her reading. Unconsciously, while thinking about his father, his hand had ran up his body to his chest where under his clothes was a pendant from his father - a 影, in a circular sharp-edged shuriken, engraved on jade - hung around his neck by a small chain. Most of the time, he left it with the rest of his belongings at the dormitories in Kenji's school, but since the news of Hanzo being sighted near the village, he had kept it close. The necklace was given to him by Kenji sensei who told him that it had once belonged to his father, and it had became the only that belonged to him that had once belonged to his father. He, of course, had asked Kenji if he knew his father but Kenji only replied that he had once been his student.

"Hayabusa, watch this," Kagura's voice broke into his thoughts. She held her hand up and straightened it, muttering a charm under her breath that consisted of old language that Hayabusa didn't understand. A scream erupted from somewhere in the mansion and a loud bang suddenly hit the closed door and Hayabusa jumped to his feet quickly, he was so shocked that his heart was about to burst from his chest.

Kagura, on the other hand, giggled. "It's okay." She got up and opened the door. She stooped down to retrieve something. Her umbrella was clutched - closed - in her hand.

Hayabusa relaxed. "You could've warned me," he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Yes, but that would take the fun out of it," Kagura said with amusement. "Plus, I wasn't sure it would work. It was supposed to go right to my hand but I supposed you would need a clear path in order to do that."

A stomping of feet sounded in the corridors and the door slammed bigger forcefully. Kagura's sister, Moriko, and one of her brothers, were standing in the doorframe. Moriko's face was flushed with fury and more strands of hair were loose around her face. Now, she really looked like a witch ghost. Her brother looked concerned.

"Kagura!" she shrieked. "What did you do with that umbrella?"

"Sister! Isn't it amazing? I summoned it!" Kagura proudly showed her the umbrella she was holding.

Moriko pointed at the umbrella as if it was cursed. "That _thing_ tried to kill me." She was positively shaking with rage.

Their brother rested his hand on Moriko's shoulder. "Kagura meant no harm. All it did was zip past you. It wasn't even near you."

"It gave me a fright, that's what it did," Moriko argued back. "You better keep that umbrella under control, Kagura," she whipped back at her little sister. "Or Father will here about this." She turned around and stormed angrily away.

Their brother looked bewildered as his eyes followed her. Then he turned back to Kagura and said, "I think it's best if you practice outside. You know your sister, she gets angry at the little things that doesn't go in place." He gave a slight nod at Hayabusa to which he returned and followed Moriko down the hall.

Kagura walked back to her place at the low table and flopped back down on her knees. "She talked like it's a wild animal," she said, stroking the ribs of the umbrella. "I know what you're thinking," she spoke again before Hayabusa could open his mouth. "That my sister is annoying and unbearable. I can't deny that I felt the same way sometimes." She bit her bottom lip. She withdrew her hands from her umbrella and looked at him in the eye, her blue eyes were like the waves in the lake during a storm. "But she's my sister. I know that she cares about me very much and I know when I'm in trouble, she'll be there."

* * *

On the fifth morning, Hayabusa solemnly ate his breakfast with the rest of Kagura's family in the dining hall. It was as big as the dojo he competed in with a long, low table and servants kneeling across both lengths of the room, waiting to serve them. He always felt awkward every time he dined with them as if he didn't belong there, which was true. He was only there because Kagura's father had not allowed him to go back to the dormitories and permitted him to take shelter in his household instead.

As usual, Kagura was sitted right beside him at one corner of the table. At both ends, were Kagura's mother and an empty seat which must be for the lord of the mansion. On either side were the rest of Kagura's siblings; Moriko sat beside her mother and - thankfully - furthest from Hayabusa but that didn't stop her from stealing annoyed glances at him; beside her was the brother who had nodded to Hayabusa. He couldn't remember all their names, but if he wasn't mistaken, he was the oldest of the Nakahara siblings.

Kagura had eleven siblings in total; seven sisters and four brothers. The youngest sat opposite of Hayabusa and she always gave him an adorable toothy grin. Unlike most of her other siblings, she had hair the colour of the lightest shade of pink.

Kagura's mother summoned the servant sitting closest to her. "Why is Aimi's hair down?" she asked. "It's getting into her food."

"I don't want my hair up," Aimi insisted, clutching a handful of hair in her chubby hands.

"You're getting them dirty. That isn't very ladylike, dear."

Aimi shook her head stubbornly, a grain of rice stuck at the corner of her mouth.

Kagura leaned forward and wiped the rice away. "You'll look prettier than the rest of us, Aimi," Kagura chided. "Right now, you look as ugly as Moriko." She said that last part in a really low voice so that only the people sitting around them could hear her. One of her brothers chortled and choked on his food and a sister was laughing out loud. Hayabusa had to stifle a laugh too. Aimi, changing her mind, agreed to let a servant have her hair tied up.

"You don't mean that, do you?" Hayabusa asked after dinner.

Kagura laughed. "Of course not, but Aimi has always told me that out of all her sisters, Moriko was the least prettiest one."

She had led him to the backyard for a breath of fresh air and Hayabusa was awestruck that the land was as vast at the gardens in front of the mansion. A horse paddock stood at one side where the stables were and the trees around the perimeter of the walls were shedding its leaves to prepare for winter. Hayabusa hadn't been outside for so long that he just noticed how cold it was. Then, quite suddenly, an image popped into his mind and he was reminded of the devastation Hanzo had caused in and outside the village, especially the field where they get their food. How long until the whole village ran out of food? Winter was coming and everyone would be starving. He felt guilty of his belly so full of warm food while he thought of the possibility of an empty-stomach winter. _How is Hanabi coping with all of this?_

Kagura's father didn't return until almost dark when the sun had nearly set completely in the horizon. The creaking gate and the sound of the horse's hooves sounded his arrival. Kagura was reading again in Hayabusa's room while he was laying on his back on the floor. When she heard her father's voice from the front door, she jumped up so quickly that the book fell from her lap, jerking Hayabusa to a sitting position and rushed out through the door. He remained awkwardly in the room while he heard the rest of the family to come greet him. He had never known interactions like these before. He heard her mother's wails of joy, her brother's voices asking of news, their sister's cries and her father announcing, "Allow me to freshen up first before I update the rest of you what happened and what _will_ happen." Hayabusa heard him scooping Aimi up into his arms as gave a squeak of surprise. "Where's Hayabusa?"

"He's here," Kagura led him along the corridor and at the same time, Hayabusa stepped out to greet the lord of the mansion.

"I believe I owe you something," he said gruffly.

Everyone else had gone quite, eyeing the two of them as if expecting conflict to unfold. Hayabusa gripped the sides of his shirt nervously. He could see that Kagura's father's eyes had heavy bags beneath them and his usually sleek hair was messy; he looked exhausted.

His face softened and he let Aimi back down onto the ground before saying, "I'll keep my promise after dinner." He passed Hayabusa and rested his hand momentarily on his shoulder.

* * *

 ***案ずるより産むが易し (あんずるよりうむがやすし)**


	9. Chapter 9

"This is for you." Kagura's father handed him a small note in which contained a messy handwriting. It seemed that the person who wrote the letter was untrained with the brush and had smeared ink all over the parchment.

 **How are you doing? My mother was furious when she found out that I had snuck away and forbade me from going out of the house ever again. Luckily, my father persuaded her to at least allow me to go out for training sessions. I hope to see you again.**

At the bottom of the letter, signed almost as horridly and difficult to make out was the name 'Hanabi'.

"Training? Has it resumed?"

Kagura's father took a bite of a chicken leg. He was eating as if he had not even for days. Wine spilled over his gown and there were grains of rice all around his face. He pulled a dish of grilled salmon closer to him and lifted the whole fish head into his plate before saying, "It will resume in a week's time," he said with his mouth full. "The council has decided that _if_ Hanzo returns -" He took a mouthful of salmon flesh. "The best the youth could do was defend themselves."

"But how can that be?" Kagura interjected, sitting opposite from Hayabusa. "How can life go on after what happened? How can you be sure that Hanzo will not return so soon?"

Her siblings around the table had abandoned their dinner and was leaning towards their father to listen to what has been happening outside the Nakahara land. Their mother was kneeling beside her husband, clutching his sleeve so hard as if afraid she'll loose him if she let go.

"We cannot be sure," Lord Nakahara finally replied. "The fields have been destroyed and that means the village will be in a famine for a few months. I volunteered to donate most of our house's resources to the village. The burnt soil would provide an ideal condition for plant growth, but unfortunately, in a month, when winter comes, the soil would be too frozen to grow anything. However, the council advised all farmers to start working in the field tomorrow and hopefully, we'll get something by the start of winter."

"But that's impossible," Kagura's mother cried. "We're doomed and they know it. Hanzo means to destroy the whole village slowly. We'll be dead before he can come the next time."

A mutter started to spread across the table after their mother's words. Even the servants stationed at the edge of the room exchanged uneasy glances at each other. Aimi, who was beside Hayabusa, ducked her head under the embroidered tablecloth.

"We can stop worrying about him coming back so soon." Lord Nakahara gulped down more wine. "He didn't come to Iga on a killing spree. In fact, there were no fatalities other than the soldiers who fought against him. The first thing he did was head towards his family house which was located near the field where we grow our food."

" _Grew_ ," Kagura's eldest brother corrected him.

"We didn't know why he went there in the first place because he has no living family members. It gave us an upper-hand so that we can group and surround the house. When he left the place, he looked shocked to see us there, but that didn't stop him from nearly wiping out our front. In the midst of battle, he scorched the land and sent his own house up in flames. It seemed he had gotten stronger since the murder."

The whole room went so quiet, waiting for Nakahara to continue. The air was so thick in the silence, Hayabusa started to feel dizzy. He gripped his hands and dug his nails into his palms to concentrate. Beside him, Aimi was shaking so hard, unnoticed by her siblings.

"Aimi," her mother said quietly, releasing her grip on her husband. She stood up and walked around towards the littlest child. "Go upstairs to bed."

Aimi stood up immediately and rushed off, her feet thumping on the floorboards. Everyone else was not looking at her as if her disappearance was a relief upon them all. Hayabusa himself was glad that she was gone so she could not hear more of Hanzo's wrath on the village. She was still too young. He felt something nudge his knee from under the table and he looked up at Kagura sitting across from him. Her eyes were brimmed with tears but her mouth was pursed tightly in an attempt to hold them back. She mouthed at him, "You okay?" and he nodded back at her. The truth was he really wasn't. All of this was a big blow to him and he was expected to return to training in a week - back to their normal lives - as if Hanzo was never here. Nothing could ever go back to normal now.

Nakahara continued, "He wasn't here to kill. It seemed that he was here to look for something. We don't know what it might be that he was looking for, but it was clear that he didn't find it in Iga. The village will be in a state of panic and apprehension for a few days after the council sends the messengers out tomorrow. I advise you all to remain indoors during that time." He turned his head to Hayabusa. "Including you."

Was he imagining it, or did Lord Nakahara's eyes rested momentarily on Moriko? Out of the corner of his eye, Moriko was still sitting motionless but her gaze seemed to be on her plate.

"So, with that, we expect everything to return to normal?" Kagura asked.

"That's the safest we can do. The council has forbidden anyone from going out to search for Hanzo. He, alone, is a one man army. He left many casualties while he was here. I hate to think what would happen if a party was to go by themselves."

That decision made a lot of sense to Hayabusa but at the same time, he couldn't agree more with Kagura. There was no way anyone was going to forget about that incident. It may even be written in records and grandparents would tell children stories about the Murderous Hanzo in a hundred years and songs would be made about him and it would seem that the community did nothing to fend themselves from him. He didn't want Iga to go down in history like that. Casting a glance upon Kagura, it seemed that she was thinking the same thing.

As if replying to their thoughts, Kagura's father spoke again, "But then, there is hope."

He looked up and was surprised to see that he was looking at him. Everyone else around the table shifted to look at him too and Hayabusa felt the pressure of many pairs of eyes boring down on him.

"Albeit little, hope is what we needed right now."

"What do you mean?" Hayabusa asked, dreading the answer.

"The council has consulted a seer, the same seer who my mother consulted to whom the umbrella should be passed down to." Nakahara casted a brief glance at Kagura. "A prophecy has been received. One that was received many years ago but only now did we understand. _The peregrine falcon will save the village when it is shrouded in shadows. Daybreak shall he travel, with rivaling flowers by his side._ "

Realisation dropped upon him like a bomb. "What?" he repeated, almost in a whisper.

"Well, at least we understood the first part. The second was still a little unclear."

"I have to - to what?"

"Save the village," Kagura said, almost as breathless as he was. She was visibly shaking.

"What?" Hayabusa said again a little louder, his mind had gone blank with confusion.

"I think it is better that you all go to sleep," Nakahara said with a note of finality in his voice. "Get some rest and all will be clear in the morning."

Hayabusa could still feel the gaze of about a dozen pairs of eyes on him. He felt like he was going to break under the pressure.

"What does that mean? Why is _he_ going to save us all?" Moriko said in an obnoxious tone.

For once, Hayabusa didn't care about the way she spoke about him. He was just as confused as she was and she could slap him for all he care, in fact, he _wanted_ someone to slap him, to wake him from this vivid nightmare.

"To bed," her father insisted, and one by one, the siblings shuffled off until only Hayabusa, eldest son, Kagura and their parents were left. The servants moved to clean the table hurriedly.

"You still want to hear about it?" Lord Nakahara asked Hayabusa, his wife gave him a puzzled look. Hayabusa nodded silently, he didn't want to say anything else.

"Very well, then." Lord Nakahara stepped outside the dining hall and into the corridors, Hayabusa followed him hesitantly. He looked back at Kagura who seemed like she wanted to follow, but hesitated and stayed back reluctantly.

"Father," the eldest son called.

"Yes, you should come too."

The three of them walked silently to the small common room beside a side door, the only light came from a small lamp hovering on the ceiling, casting a dim light over a low table. Lord Nakahara sat on one side, across from Hayabusa while the eldest remained standing.

"I want an explanation," the eldest said.

"Don't we all?"

Hayabusa couldn't tell whether that was sarcasm or not.

"I feel like I should also be fighting for the village," the eldest continued. "We've talked about it before, that I want to contribute something as your oldest son. You've given a very important heirloom and its powers to one of your youngest children, and now you're counting on a _kid_ to defeat Hanzo?"

Hayabusa wished he could tell him that he felt exactly the same way.

"Asahi, all of this is beyond my control. I didn't choose to pass down the umbrella to Kagura, I didn't want Hayabusa to fight against Hanzo, and I don't want my son to be in the way of danger. Everything is spiraling out of control, I thought you could understand that."

But Asahi looked almost angry. "Let me fight. You said you would reconsider after you come back. I promise, I will make you proud."

"I didn't say you haven't."

"I didn't say you did not. I'll bring more pride to this family and you will trust me in your place. Please," Asahi begged. "If Hayabusa is prophesied to defend the village, then surely I can be one of its defenders?"

Lord Nakahara breathed out slowly, seeming deep in thought. "The whole time during the battle, I was thinking that if you were there, what would happen to you. I see you in every man, and in every man, I couldn't bear the thought of having you in their place."

Asahi looked crestfallen, his shoulders sagged as he gaped at his father. He glanced at Hayabusa as if looking to him for help but Hayabusa merely averted his gaze. This was something that he was best not included in.

"I will still fight," Asahi decided, gathering his determination once more. "You cannot stop me. I will fight for honour." He spun around and left the room.

Hayabusa and Lord Nakahara sat silently for a long time. Just when Hayabusa decided that he should go too, Lord Nakahara said, "That is what makes a true soldier."

A moth flitted in front of Hayabusa's nose but he did not flinch.

"I wonder, would your father still have you fight for honour if he knew you were to die?"

Silence again.

"Your father was born in a respectable household. His clan was titled as the most ambitious and smartest family in Iga. I knew your father because he was assigned to protect my house ever since he became a ninja. He was one of the best there is. Do you know anything about your mother?"

"I remember my father telling me that she was the most beautiful woman he have ever met," Hayabusa recalled. "Like a flower in a desert," his father's voice said in his mind and the memory brought Hayabusa a bitter-sweet feeling. "You have your mother's eyes and her wisdom, if only she could see you now."

"Indeed, she is," Lord Nakahara said softly. "In fact, I would have married her if she hadn't fallen for your father."

Hayabusa looked up in shock. "My mother, was engaged to you?"

Lord Nakahara nodded sadly. "Your father and I were very close even though he was assigned as my guard. I have just taken over the family mansion when your mother was arranged to marry me. But who should she choose? A new lord of a powerful house or a skilled ninja of an admired clan? It was clear she had chosen your father above all else. Anyone who saw her with your father knew that she was deeply in love. So, I called off the engagement and your parents eloped. Your mother's parents weren't really happy with the change of plans. Then she was pregnant with you-"

Hayabusa gazed at the table, his eyes darting from corner to corner, searching for something to look at. He had never heard this story before. A strange thought occurred to him that he and Kagura could be siblings, or step-siblings, or a being separated into two. He forced the thought to the back of his mind, reminding himself that the both of them weren't even related.

"I know she died during my delivery," Hayabusa said.

"Your father was broken. He wanted to follow her but at the same time he wanted to be there with you, he wanted something of himself and your mother to be passed down. He wanted you to remember him. I know that if he could, he would still choose to be with you."

Hayabusa's hand traveled to his chest once more to where the jade pendant lay cold. He thumb followed the grooves on the smooth jade and he closed his eyes to hold back the tears that were threatening to spill.

"I'm willing to let you stay under my roof because your father has served my family so well, and without him, I wouldn't even know the feelings he had to your mother. I would never even have met my wife and have so many wonderful children. When I first saw you at that summer festival, bringing Kagura back to us I know who you are, even thought I didn't know that my ninja had a son, and I told your father, knowing what he was going through, that you are welcome to come over while he was on duty. Kagura had never had much friends before, she was a bright and friendly girl, and yet she was unpopular with the village kids. I was delighted to hear that she have finally gotten along with someone. I have to thank you as much as I have to thank your father. I owe so much to your family for the happiness of mine."

There was a small cupboard at the corner of the room where a canvas with the character meaning 'love' written upon it and a pot of dry flowers. Lord Nakahara went over to it now and pulled out one of its drawers to shift through its contents. When he found what he wanted, he placed them in the centre the table so that Hayabusa could see. One of them was a roll of parchment which he opened to see a signed contract. The parchment was yellowing and the letters were almost faded, except for two signatures at the bottom. One of them read 'Nakahara' while the other said 'Hayabusa'. Hayabusa reached out his fingers to feel the paper where his father's palm might have rested when he signed the paper.

"The contract your father signed to lay down his life for me," Lord Nakahara explained. "I still find it quite curious that your name is a combination of your parent's surnames. Didn't think it was even preferable." He laid down the other object on the table.

Hayabusa's eyes widened. It was the exact same character that was engraved on his jade pendant, except it was in gold on stone, and the stone was carved like a circular shuriken.

He lay awake that night, barely able to sleep. Now that he had got what he wanted, he was not sure if he was even able to fall asleep. Another thought forced its way out; that he was destined to defeat Hanzo. He ignored the thought, and dreamed about his parents, staying in ignorant bliss until the sun peaked over the horizon.


	10. Chapter 10

Kagura couldn't sleep. Not even when the sun rose above the horizon and the birdsong penetrated the walls of her room. Her umbrella lay in a corner, propped upright every night so when she opened her eyes first thing every morning, it would be the first thing she saw.

The night before kept replaying itself in her head. How happy she felt when she saw her father in the front door, how tired he looked and how hungry he had been, and especially how helpless Hayabusa looked when her father told him that he was destined to defeat Hanzo. She didn't feel like doing anything today, but she had to be there for Hayabusa, especially now. She wondered why her father wanted to see Hayabusa in private for and what he had owed him.

There was a knock on the door and Kagura sat upright immediately. The restless night had left her with a dizziness and drowsiness that made her felt like she was going to have a bad day. She opened the door and saw that Hayabusa was dressed. From the dark circles under his eyes, she guessed that he hadn't slept much too.

"Good morning," he said. "How's your sleep?"

"It was okay, I guess," she lied. "Umm, what are you doing so early in the morning?"

"I was planning to go down to the village today. I want to see the way how they're going to start to repair the damages. I would like to help too," he said flatly, a blank expression on his face. Kagura normally disliked the way how he said everything in an emotionless tone, but after the events of last night and how his voice had quavered and shook, she was glad that it had gone back to its usual tone.

"Sure, let me get ready." She closed the door and went straight to the basin to freshen herself up. Few moments later, she emerged from the room in a plain clothes and pants with her hair tied in a loose ponytail. Hayabusa was leaning against the wall in the corridor, seeming almost lost in deep thought. "Are you okay?" she asked him worriedly.

"It's nothing," Hayabusa said. "Come on."

He led the way outside and into the stone pavement, down the path towards the burnt field. There was something odd in the air, like the whole village was holding its breath, waiting for a panther to pounce on them. Kagura shielded her eyes when they reached the edge of a steep cliff leading down to the plantations. She hadn't realised how late it was when Hayabusa knocked on her door. Judging how the sun was shining above the distant mountains, it was probably already mid-morning. Already, villagers were working on the fields, recovering what they can. Hayabusa went down the steep path first, extending his hand to Kagura from time to time to help her.

"Thank you," she muttered when they had almost reached the bottom. "Do they always take this path?"

"No, but it's the quickest way."

"Hayabusa!" Someone called from a distance away.

Kagura squinted her eyes and saw a dark-haired girl waving her arms at them. The woman beside her, who seemed to be her mother, glared at her for a moment and seemed ready to scold her but the girl dashed away towards them.

"I haven't seen you in so long," she panted when she reached them. Now that she was closer, Kagura could see the healed scratches on her arms and legs, and it seemed that she didn't even bother to brush her hair. She thought with amusement how Moriko would react if she knew there was a girl like her in the village, the total opposite of her. She would turn her nose up and complain about how girls should present themselves better. Now that the girl was standing right in front of her, there was something familiar about her...

"Hanabi?" Kagura said.

"You have a good memory," Hayabusa said. He turned back to Hanabi. "What are you doing here?"

"My mother said it was better to go with her than stay at home alone. I guess she doesn't trust me anymore." Hanabi made a face. "So I guess I'm stuck with her until we start training next week. Anyway, this morning before coming to the fields, I went to the dormitories looking for you and they said they haven't seen you for ages. Where were you?"

"I'm staying with Kagura," Hayabusa replied, gesturing towards her. Kagura suddenly felt shy but she smiled and said hello so softly she doubted whether Hanabi was able to hear her.

There was a sudden change of expression on Hanabi's face and even her tone when she said that she needed to go. "I bet my mother is thinking of what to spank me with at this moment," she said, then she ran back towards her mother who watched her ran across the field with her dirty hands on her hips.

"Is she training with you?" Kagura asked Hayabusa.

"I think so. I guess they expect students from both sects to learn together now."

"But shouldn't the training methods conflict each other?"

"They'll figure out a way."

Kagura followed him to one end of the field where it was still untouched. "Let's pick up the big debris first." With a look around, he confirmed, "I guess we can't start planting before the land is cleared."

He started to pick up twigs and branches and Kagura followed suit. She made to pick up a particularly big branch when Hayabusa, who has a longer and faster arm, reached for it first and added it to his pile which he balanced with one arm.

"That was mine," Kagura protested.

Hayabusa gave her an almost exasperated look and added the branch to the pile of twigs gathered around her arms. Kagura puffed out her cheeks with the added weight, surprised by how heavy it was. However, determined to prove to him that she could do it, she brought her mass to the debris site.

When she returned back to him, Hayabusa was looking at her with amusement, his arms full with branches and stones. "So, the princess did it."

Kagura crossed her hands. "Do you need help with that?" she asked proudly.

Hayabusa almost laughed. "I think I can handle this fine."

By noon, most of the people had retrieved to the village and a field has been planted and watered. A few stayed behind to work on the one where Hayabusa and Kagura were working on earlier. Most of the big branches and stones had been cleared and now, Hayabusa had started raking dead leaves with the sleeves on his shirt and pants rolled up. Kagura, on the other hand, had retreated to a shade under a dead tree which offered little. A few men patted Hayabusa's shoulder when they passed him and told him something she couldn't hear but she didn't doubt that it was praise. Sweat had soaked his clothes but he seemed very determined to get the job done. Kagura shamefully realised that she couldn't help but admire the way his skin glistened as he worked the rake. She sighed regretfully. Was she really useless to him?

"I'm heading back," Hayabusa said when he was done and walked towards her. He wiped his forehead with his arm and looked around. "Still a lot more to be done."

"Are you coming back here tomorrow too?" Kagura asked him.

Hayabusa nodded. He offered her his hand and they set off back towards the house. Along the way, Kagura realised that she hadn't seen any small children running around or playing, or any merchants selling food and drinks as they would have done even in the heat of an afternoon. Though there were a few adults sitting on pavements and exchanging news, the town was in a state of solemn peace.

There was a patter of footsteps and Hanabi caught up with them. She was sweating too and her shirt was spoiled with dirt. "I bet I caught you by surprise," Hanabi said after launching herself around Hayabusa's shoulders.

He simply shrugged her off and said plaintively, "I heard you coming from the next street. You tripped over your own shoes but not before jumping over something." He spun around to face her. "Am I right?"

Hanabi scoffed. "I wanted to give you a headstart. Don't want you passing out before training has even started."

"Hanabi, I didn't realise you're so into training," Kagura said.

"Yeah, well," Hanabi stretched her legs. "I _am_ the best."

"I beat you in the tournament," Hayabusa reminded her.

"I was going easy on you," she argued.

Kagura couldn't help admiring the relationship the both of them had. They were rivals from different sects and yet they managed to befriend one another, especially after a tournament. Kagura thought she might even grow to like Hanabi.

"Well, we'll see you around Hanabi," Kagura smiled. "It's time for brunch. You're welcome to join us if you like."

"Um, no, thank you," Hanabi said. "My mother would be furious once she found out I have snuck away again. I have to go. See you!"

She hurriedly dashed away, leaving Kagura and Hayabusa staring after her.

"She's quite competitive," Kagura observed.

Hayabusa sounded like he almost snorted.

They continued walking up a few streets. The sun left them both sweaty and tired and Kagura wished she had brought her umbrella with her, especially on this particular day when it was blazing hot. The journey back to the house felt like it would take forever. Kagura looked at Hayabusa but he looked occupied in his own thoughts. She couldn't blame him considering the news her father had brought them the night before, and their private conversation Kagura didn't know about. She wanted to confide in Hayabusa some time in the day but she decided he would tell her when he chose to.

They were crossing an intersection when suddenly Hayabusa was knocked sideways into a blocked-off alleyway. Kagura gasped and something hit the ground; someone had thrown a stone at Hayabusa. He staggered a few ways and seemed to catch his balance, clutching a hand to his bleeding head. Something else dashed past Kagura, pushing past her and she stumbled and fell forwards onto her knees. A boy larger than Hayabusa was standing in front of him, with two more on each side. The boy in the middle raised his fist and punched Hayabusa on the head, sending him knocking against the wall. Kagura could only stare in horror as the boys laughed at him as he tried to get to his feet, receiving a kick in his torso. Hayabusa laid on the groud, gripping his stomach with saliva drooling. With his fringe covering his face, Kagura couldn't make out his expression or the injury.

"Where were you, Shou?" The boy in the middle asked. "I've missed you. There were no one else in the dormitory who was as fun as you." He kicked Hayabusa again and his whole body acted up in a seizure-like way to bear the pain; thrashing and kicked his legs against the ground.

One of the other boys pulled Hayabusa up by his arm and punched him again. Hayabusa fell heavily onto the ground and groaned. Kagura was frozen on the spot, she couldn't move, her whole body was shaking. She wanted to help him, she _needed_ to. Why couldn't she do something to help?

"What do you want, Ryuu?" Hayabusa managed to gasped.

The boy in the middle tilted his head. "Oh?" He walked forwards and grabbed a handful of Hayabusa's hair and pulled him closer to his face. "I just want to know where you've been. You don't have any family members and yet, you are excused from staying in the dormitories while the rest of us have families in the village and we are forbidden from going back to them." His voice started shaking with rage. "My father... _died_ protecting this village. He fought against that madman Hanzo and I didn't even get to see him, while you go off and got yourself a _girlfriend_." He hissed the last part. Ryuu looked over his shoulder at Kagura on the ground.

"Not so special now, are you?" He turned back to Hayabusa. "And all you could do is stay still and let your girlfriend watch you get beaten up." He threw another punch at him before throwing him onto the ground. "I didn't even get to see my mother until this morning. She would've died if I haven't been there!" Ryuu started throwing frantic punches at Hayabusa, over and over again, one after another. His two friends started joining in, pummeling him endlessly, and all Hayabusa could do was hold his head in his arms and curl up on the ground helplessly.

Tears started to stream down Kagura's face as she watched her friend get beaten by the three larger boys. The world was silent around her except for what was happening in front of her and the deafening thump going on inside her head. She needed to do something, she had to, but her body was shaking too badly for her to even stand up.

Ryuu grabbed Hayabusa's wrist and forced it away from his face, all the while he was still being beaten so they could get a better aim at his sensitive parts. Hayabusa was almost invincible under the bodies of the three boys, but in a few gaps, Kagura could make out blood staining the front of his shirt and immediately, adrenaline coursed through her and she got to her feet. Before she knew it, she had managed to squeeze in between Hayabusa and the boys, blinded by the overwhelming will to save her friend. And now, Ryuu and his thugs were laying on the ground, dazed.

Kagura's arm was held outstretched in front of her, purple mist and sparks were coming off her palms as if they were dying away. The purple vapour had formed a wave in a shape of a semi-circle between her and the boys, now rising into the air. The first boy that came to his senses looked so white, he took no notice of his friends as he ran off. The one named Ryuu leaned onto his elbow and shook his head, clearly trying to remember what happened. The other boy was still knocked out. In a second, Ryuu's face flashed with realisation of the situation and he got up hurriedly, looked as if he were about to say something but dashed off, not before casting a final glare over his shoulder.

Hayabusa groaned and Kagura remembered that he was still injured. She knelt down beside him and placed a delicate hand on his shoulder. Hayabusa removed his arm away just a little bit so she could see some parts of his face. It was really bad; his lips was cut and his nose was bleeding heavily, he spotted a black eye and bruises all around his face and arms.

"Kagura," Hayabusa whispered. She shushed him, willing him not to talk.

"Everything's going to be okay," she tried to assure him. But how was she going to bring him back? He looked as if he could barely get up even with her help and she couldn't leave him alone here while she went to fetch help.

She grasped his hands in hers and tightly closed her eyes, willing some magic left inside of her to come out and heal Hayabusa enough that he would be able to get home. She could feel his breathing getting steadier and ever, and his head rest lightly on the ground as he passed out. She shut her eyes tighter and did not release her grip on his hand. A warm feeling spread throughout her body followed by a tingling sensation down the back of her spine, and still she did not open her eyes. Only did the sensation started to fade did she sneaked a peek and saw a warm pink light dying away in their joint hands. She checked the rest of his body and saw that his bleeding nose had stopped, the cuts sealed up and his bruises looked better than it had been. Kagura tapped his cheek lightly and Hayabusa's eyes fluttered open and squinted up at her.

"Let's get you home," Kagura chided and swung his arms over her shoulders.

* * *

It was an effort bringing Hayabusa back to her father's mansion. Some of the servants washed and tended to his unconscious body while Kagura bathed and ate.

"What happened to him?" Aimi approached her after the meal.

"He's just tired, that's all," Kagura told her.

She went straight to his room after that. Hayabusa laid on his mattress, his face patched up. He looked like he was sleeping peacefully. Kagura hoped the sleeping spell she used on his would allow him the blessing of a dreamless sleep. She couldn't imagine why anyone would beat anyone up. If anything, those boys were just taking their anger out on Hayabusa. She stroked his face from his temple to his cheek. He was too kind to deserve anything like that...

Hayabusa groaned and he opened his eyes. "Hey..." he croaked.

Kagura withdrew her hand hurriedly. "How are you -?"

Hayabusa had started to sit up, his face contorted with pain as he did so. Kagura wanted to tell him he shouldn't be doing that when he suddenly pulled her in in a tight embrace. Tears started spilling out of her as she realised how worried she had been of him, if she wasn't there for him he would've gotten really hurt. _Or dead._ The thought made her cry harder and she buried her face in his shoulders, hiccuping uncontrollably.

He stroked the back of her hair and said, "I told you you were stronger than you think."

When they finally pulled away, Kagura wiped the tears and smiled at him. He looked so handsome and impressive, especially with the bandages on his face... _I want to protect him forever._

The sliding door opened and Aimi poked her head in. "Hayabusa," she greeted him. "I've brought you something." She proudly held up a bouquet of flowers, their roots still covered in soil.

* * *

 **Hello, Readers! I hope you enjoy my story so far and I hope it does not bore you**

 **As always, remember to leave a review! I had to change the plot a few times before I was satisfied with it and often, I had writer's block so I allowed myself a few days of rest to think about what and where I want this story to be heading to, and trust me, earlier drafts of this was BORING.**

 **Anw, do any of you main Hayabusa here? I'm a Kagura main and when I see anyone playing Hayabusa, they always turn out to be so bad. Haha, no offence. I would like to share my ID so that I can meet some of you on the battlefield ;)**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey guys, sorry I was inactive. I was really busy with some important exams. Luckily, it has lifted off a bit for me to be able to write this chapter. Honestly, I didn't realise how much I miss writing HanaxHayaxKagu until I got into it again, and your comments have pushed me to do it too. Thank you! Expect a new chapter real soon!**

 **P.S. sorry if you have found inconsistency in the chapters as I've taken a LONG time off. If you found any, I will be happy to know! ^^**

* * *

There was nothing Hanabi hated more than riding on the backs of beasts during combat training. Twice, she had slid off her saddle and she had been jabbed so often, she wanted to give up and quit.

 _But this is what training is all about,_ she reminded herself constantly. _To push yourself to be the best you can ever be._

She paused and watched Hayabusa as he easily maneuvered his horse between two attackers and, as easily, dodged their attacks from long wooden sticks.

"Miss Akane!" Chiyo sensei called. "Please focus."

"Yes, sensei." Hanabi tugged on the reins.

The teachers from both sects have taken it in turns to teach their combined classes every week. This time, it was Chiyo sensei's turn and her training classes have become fiercer. It has been months since Hanzo's attack and the village had settled into an uneasy peace; children had started to come out and play and the market had reopened. The field which Hanzo had burnt was growing nicely after winter. The whole village had survived and came through the cold season thanks to the help of the generous Grandmasters and powerful houses; which includes donations from Hayabusa's friend's family. However, it was not without hardship as food was scarce and everyone was weak, disease spread throughout Iga and training was stopped for a week.

Even though the spring breeze was chilly, Hanabi's clothes was sticking uncomfortably to her body, wet with sweat. She used a hand to sweep her hair out of her forehead and gripped tighter on her bamboo stick. She guided her horse towards Misaki, who often spoke to her the year before. She was an easy target, she did not have the strength or the speed required of a soldier, but she was smart. Hanabi raised her stick and whipped it lightly across Misaki's abdomen.

"Predict and act, Misaki!" Chiyo sensei called again, clapping her hands for attention. "Ryuu, I said this is a mock battle. _Mock._ Well done, Hayabusa."

Hayabusa had disarmed someone and was now riding towards Hanabi at a gallop. She stared at him nervously, if he was scary on foot, he was terrifying on a horse. Riding horseback allowed the rider minimum angle at which they can attack and defend themselves, therefore leaving the spine vulnerable. Hanabi reminded herself that Hayabusa's strength was speed and that he was unable to use it to his favour here. She held her stick in front of her, reading to defend herself from his attacks, when he sped past her and poked her ribs painfully from behind.

Hanabi dropped her bamboo and clutched her side. Hayabusa doubled back and stopped beside her horse.

"You can't expect me to hit you where you are defending," he said in disbelief.

Hanabi jerked his stick out of his hands and knocked his shoulder. sending him hurtling off his horse. "And you can't expect me to let my guard down around you," she said with satisfaction as she watched him get up to his feet. Truely, Hayabusa was an exceptional opponent, however, Chiyo and Kenji sensei seemed determined to work Hayabusa more fervent and vigorous than the rest of them for some reason and Hanabi found that frustrating. How was she going to prove to him now that she was better than him?

He was often excused from the combined classes for private tutoring from the other teachers and also attended remedial lessons. What was he training for? Why are the teachers showing him bias favour? Was it because he was the winner of the Scarlet Shadow tournament? He seemed good enough, in fact, he was unbeatable in his class. So good that he had to battle with older opponents during class sparring. A strong sense of jealousy settled in the pit of Hanabi's stomach as she remembered the days when she was the best in her class, so good that she had to go off against eight students at once. But those days seemed to be over as the Shadow sect joined their ranks.

"That's enough," Chiyo sensei announced. "Return your horses to the stables and meet me in the courtyard."

"Hayabusa is so good," Misaki said dreamily when she joined Hanabi, pulling their horses back to the stables. "How does he look that good even when he is fighting?"

Hanabi scoffed. "He is probably narcissistic."

"I don't think so. I've seen you talk to him before. What was he like?" Misaki struggled as her horse threw its head up.

"Like an airhead," she said bitterly. She had a strange feeling that she didn't want Misaki to get close to Hayabusa. Plus, he had that rich, important girl he always seemed to hang out with. Hanabi hated her so much, she wanted hit her with her own umbrella she was always carrying around. She relished the thought that even _she_ would find it easy to have Kagura on the ground when battling on horseback.

"You look happy," Misaki observed, shutting the gate of the stall and stroking her horse's nose. "You must admire him."

"Wh - what?" Hanabi cried and dropped the feed she was carrying, earning an angry whinny from her horse.

Misaki laughed. "You like Hayabusa," she said quietly.

"No, I don't!" Hanabi closed her own stall. "He seemed so full of himself, hiding behind his expressionless facade." She looked over her shoulder to where Hayabusa was removing his horse's harnesses.

Misaki followed her gaze. "Don't you know that feeling? When you want someone all to yourself but you're too afraid to say it because you're scared he might reject you?"

"Wow, you're so weird today, Misaki." Hanabi felt her face grew hot and trudged out of the stables. "I thought _you_ want Hayabusa?"

Misaki sighed. "Oh, I _do._ But at least I recognise my crush. Honestly, can you blame yourself? He looks so handsome and mature, he's strong and talented too."

" _Mature_?" Hanabi laughed. "You must be blinded by his handsomeness," she said sarcastically.

They joined the rest of the class in the courtyard and waited while the last of them arrived. Chiyo sensei was standing in the middle with her hands crossed, waiting patiently. Since the battle, she always looked weary and older. Beside her was a very old man, stooped so low that his silver whiskers nearly touched the ground. Nevertheless, he was dressed in expensive cloth and the braids in his white hair told Hanabi that he was a very important person.

"This season, we are going to be assessing your skills and your abilities to see how far you have achieved," she announced, her voice grave and serious and the look behind her eyes showed that something was worrying her. "However, the results for this assessment will be different from before."

Muttering erupted from the students around the courtyard. Hanabi stared back at her, wide-eyed. Different how? The assessments have always been what they were since generations ago. She fidgeted uncomfortably and she found her eyes going to Hayabusa. His expression - as always - was unreadable as he waited for Chiyo sensei to continue.

"Failure of the assessment will not result in disqualification," Chiyo sensei continued. "As always, the top ten candidates will advanced to further training. However, other candidates will be expected to train as soldiers as ordered by the Grandmasters."

"What?" Someone yelled in disbelief. "Why?" It was normal for students who did not make it to the finals to continue training as normal martial artists, but for them to be expected to become soldiers? That was unheard of. Normally, young men were recruited as soldiers yearly in the village but it was seen as a way of finding a lazy, easy job since the village was so peaceful. Now, however, ever since Hanzo's attack, the whole village must be on high alert and taking no chances. If there was anything they could do to prevent such a disaster from happening again, they would do it.

The man beside Chiyo sensei finally spoke. His voice was soft and gravely and Hanabi had to strain her ears to hear him. "The Grandmasters have decided that the students of the academies are more than capable to protect Iga. We have seen you train and receive reports from Chiyo and Kenji sensei every week of your accomplishments. Therefor, we have absolute trust that our youths will be able to keep our village safe." Under his thick brows, his eyes swung to Hayabusa and his gaze rested there for a moment. Hanabi felt jealousy like a cold claw squeezing her stomach. Why is it that the leaders are always so fond of Hayabusa? Didn't they know that she had almost beaten him in the last tournament two seasons ago?

"Assessments will be held on the next full moon," the elder continued. "We are eager to see how far you have accomplished." At that, Chiyo sensei dismissed the class with a nod of her head.

After wishing the masters farewell, Hanabi started making her way back home. She spotted Misaki a few bounds away trailing distracted by the edge of the stream that ran through the village, her head was bowed and her eyes had a dreamy look on them as if she was looking at something that wasn't there. Hanabi made her way to her and called her name. She had to call a few times and only when she was nearly up to her did Misaki look at her way. The eyes that met Hanabi's, normally so bright and carefree, were now watery pools that held nothing but sadness and hopelessness.

"They want us to die, don't they?" Misaki said softly, barely getting the words out.

Hanabi was shocked that her friend could think of something like that. "No, they don't. They just want a few extra hands to help the soldiers," she tried to assure her even though she knew that it was useless.

Misaki shook her head. "I know that I won't make it to the finalist," she murmured. "I'll become a soldier, and they'll have me killed. I don't want to do this anymore, Hanabi. Training with you was fun and all, but I think we have to go our separate ways now."

Hanabi looked at her sadly. She had always known that relentless training daily had never suited Misaki and she was here only because of her family's wishes. Otherwise, she would not have anything to do with combat or anything rough. Hanabi nodded sadly, knowing that she won't see her friend in the next session and, without knowing it until now, today was their last session together. "I'll tell Chiyo sensei about your decision," she promised.

Misaki's face brightened a little. "Thanks. I cannot imagine what she would say once she found out that I won't be joining her training anymore. It would be too difficult to me." Her face clouded again and she shook her head as if to get rid of negative thoughts. "Anyway, I'll find my own path just like you've found yours."

Her face travelled to something behind Hanabi and she got the feeling that she was talking about much more than ninja training. She followed her gaze and was alarmed to see that Hayabusa was making his way towards them. She felt warm blood rising to her cheeks as he noticed that the two girls had their eyes on him and she quickly turn away. Misaki giggled and left with a wave of her hand, traveling along the stream.

The idea that Misaki had cheered up by her embarrassment reassured Hanabi that she was going to be okay and she promised herself that she would visit her in her home soon. But right now, she was aware that Hayabusa was making his way towards her and she had no idea what to say to him.

"Are you excited for the assessment?" he spoke first, matching her pace.

Hanabi thought for a while before responding. "Not really." She tried to hide how nervous she really felt. Besides, Hayabusa was her rival, they may meet in a spar battle once again and he would discover her weaknesses. She was determined not to show anything to him. Nevertheless, it was frustrating how Hayabusa never seemed to give anything away. His voice had the same monotonous tone and his eyes revealed nothing.

"How is your mother? I haven't seen her since the cleaning up last season," Hayabusa ventured.

Was he seriously trying to engage in a normal conversation? Hanabi could hardly believe it. He spoke so little during training hours that her classmates from the Scarlet Sect were beginning to believe that he was mute. But she couldn't hide the sense of feeling special that he had chosen her to talk to. From what she observed, he did not even try to engage in conversation with his Shadow Sect classmates. Their social butterfly was definitely Ryuu, the proud and aggressive boy.

"She's fine," Hanabi replied awkwardly. There was something she needed to know, something that has been on her mind since the moment Hanzo attacked. "Where are you living? I heard from the Shadows that you don't live in their dorm anymore."

Hayabusa hesitated as if he didn't like to discuss his current residential place. "I live with Kagura's family."

A stone dropped in Hanabi's belly and she felt like she could plunge herself into the stream and float downstream to wherever the stream took her. No wonder the two seemed so close the other she saw them, he had been living with her. Which means that she could see him everyday. But why was she feeling this? She couldn't care less about Hayabusa or whom he stayed with. Besides, Kagura must have been like a sister to him if they were living in such close quarters.

"Are you okay?" Hayabusa asked and Hanabi realised that she hadn't replied him. "Why did you ask?"

Hanabi shrugged to show that she was not bothered by it. "Oh, nothing. I was just wondering."

* * *

 **And I'm also wondering, are you interested in seeing more ships in Mobile Legends?**


	12. Chapter 12

There was something about spring that feels inviting. Even though Hanzo's destruction had caused the village to plummet in a turmoil, the trees were blossoming with pink cherry blossoms and the marketplace was full of people. However, one cannot ignore the fact that they were more soldiers than usual stationed in every corner of the village.

The warm scents of food drifted into Kagura's nose as she walked through the marketplace, bustling with people. Her mouth watered as she remembered that she hadn't eaten anything since the night before. She had seen less and less of Hayabusa since his training started and she had also been doing her own. She spent her days outside the courtyard practicing spells with her umbrella and the night reading books about ancient magic and runes. The power of the Onmyoji were not to be taken lightly and one slight mistake could lead to a big disaster, as what would normally happen when you tamper with spirits. Her grandmother's diary about the umbrella had been vague and there were characters that were hard to distinguish and Kagura found it frustrating that she had to look up about half a dozen other books to understand what it meant. But if there was anything she could do to help Hayabusa, she would do it.

Right now, she was dressed in a pretty tiffany blue yukata with a dark blue obi belt. She had left her umbrella back at the house as it would be too difficult to carry it around in such a crowd. Her white hair was neatly combed into a bun and her fringed was clipped well clear off her forehead. She was surrounded by her family, accompanied by two or three guards. Kagura hated the way that they were being followed by strangers, but then again, the most powerful family in Iga were rarely seen alone in public. She stood on her toes and tried to look around for Hayabusa who promised that he would be there. As usual, he had to train and Kagura sighed with exasperation that the school could not dismiss their students to celebrate this wonderful day.

The sky was clear of clouds and sunlight filtered through the thick canopy of cherry blossoms that covered the central marketplace. Aimi tugged on her sleeve and pointed at a vendor selling something that smells especially delicious. "What are those?" she asked. Aimi had her pink yukata on and her tails were tied up in tiny twin buns. Kagura glanced at the rest of the family but they were distracted by a stall selling homemade baskets.

"Come on, let's find out," she said, taking hold of Aimi's arm. They went over to the vendor together which was gathering quite a large crowd. Kagura's eyes widened in awe as she watched the man of the stall working with something like metal chopsticks on a grill with many circular holes carved in them. He poured liquid dough in each hole and added something in between that reminded Kagura of a pig's tail. He worked the chopsticks on the grill, flipping the dough so that it cooked evenly on all sides then he served them in a small paper boat topped with sauce and fish flakes. The smell was absolutely wonderful and Kagura felt like she was in a state of stupor until she noticed Aimi was still tugging on her sleeve. "Can we have one?"

"We should, shouldn't we?" Kagura decided.

"M'lady!" The owner of the shop had just noticed them. "Anything that interests you?" He waved his hands over all the other delicacies his vendor was selling but Kagura wanted only the strange grilled-dough.

"Ah, this is called takoyaki, m'lady," the man said, working his metal stick vigorously among the circular dents. "Originated from a town next to the sea. You'll find in there some octopus in the takoyaki"

"Octopus?" The word rolled off her tongue strangely. She had never heard of such a strange name before.

"A sea creature, m'lady. They are very delicious. Try some," he invited. He rolled off two of the takoyakis onto a paper boat and offered them to the sisters. "And one for the little one too." He nodded at Aimi who had said her thanks.

"You are very generous, sir." Kagura bowed and led the way back to her family. "Careful, it's still hot."

"What is that?" Moriko demanded when they had joined their family. She covered her face with her open fan, her face convulsed in disgust. "It smells revolting!"

"It's called a takoyaki," Kagura replied. "The man said that it came from a town near the sea. It had a weird-named sea creature inside it." Aimi had taken her first bite out of one of the balls and was puffing her cheeks because it was still hot. "How is it?"

Aimi's big eyes could not possibly get any bigger and her face lit up. "Hmmm!" was all she said as she finished the rest of her share. "It's really good. You should try some, sister."

Kagura offered the boat to her father. "Would you like some?"

"Let's have the whole family there so we can take a look at this 'weird sea creature' ourselves," he said but his eyes were shining. "It does indeed smell delicious."

Kagura had never tasted anything so good before and she had to order another separate boat for herself. Only Moriko refused to eat even a bite of takoyaki. "More for me then," Aimi said happily as she took a bite out of her second boat.

 _Hayabusa doesn't know what he's missing,_ Kagura thought regretfully as they continued the long line of stalls. It was almost sunset and along the way she had eaten all sorts of delicious foods and carrying some pretty purses. Her feet dragged at the ground in exhaustion and she longed to be back at the mansion but they have yet to visit the temple. "It would be just a quick visit," Lord Nakahara promised them.

The temple was also crowded with people but it held a different aura than the one in the marketplace. Stone pillars engraved with ancient carvings stood at intervals along the path and the sound of bells ringing broke the silence that hung over the place. The prayed in front of a shrine and Kagura clasped her hands firmly and wished that their village could be safe once more. She also wished that she had the strength to protect it and prayed for the wellbeing for everyone. Her eyes were starting to brim with tears as she was overcome by emotion. If Hanzo was still on the loose, what more could he do that he hadn't already done?

On the way back to the mansion, Kagura looked around and for the first time, she realised that children were laughing and playing, and families were having fun celebrating the spring festival together. Her heart ached at the thought that all this could be lost in a heartbeat. Iga could be a ghost town, devoid of life and colour that it once had.

Then, she noticed that her younger siblings had started to run ahead of the others and a few moments later, the sound of drums reached her ears and she wondered what all the commotion was about. A large crowd of people had started to gather in the centre of the courtyard that was lit up by dozens of bright lanterns in the twilit sky. She was too short to see what was happening in the front, stepping on her tip-toes, peering over the shoulders of taller men and women. Then she felt someone grasp her hand and she let out a little squeak as she was dragged away from her family.

When she saw her best friend with his hair stuck to his forehead with sweat, she sighed with relief. He nodded for her to follow him and they raced away together into the shadows of a nearby alleyway. He raced up a staircase and she followed more slowly. Higher and higher they climbed until they reached the balcony at a higher level from where they could gaze down into the courtyard. Kagura's eyes widened in wonder as she gazed down at the scene below her. The courtyard glowed with a warm yellow light and pink cherry blossoms fluttered from the trees like confetti. Little children were mostly seated at the front of crowd as they watched a man with a lion's head dancing, holding a stick tied with little bells. Like Kagura, they watched, entranced, as he swung the stick around and imitated a lion's prowl. Musicians at the back beat the drums to synchronise his movements and Kagura watched with interest as another dancer joined the first, this one with the head of a funny-looking man.

"I don't want all this to be lost," Kagura confessed as the two continued to watch the performance. Every one looked so lively and it was hard to believe the disaster they all had suffer just a few months before. "And I don't want to lose you."

Hayabusa didn't look away from the performance below and he slowly nodded, agreeing with her. "Most of all, I don't want to lose you."

Kagura was surprised. Did he really meant that or had she just misheard him? He had spoken to softly that it was hard to hear him over the beat of the drums below. She searched his eyes for something to tell her that he had said what she thought he said, but they revealed nothing.

"I have to tell you something," he suddenly said as they were walking back to the mansion, side-by-side, trailing behind the rest of the Nakahara family. The performance had ended and everyone decided that it was too late to do anything else. Besides, everyone was exhausted and Aimi was nearly asleep on her toes and the lord had to carry her back to his place. "You know about the prophecy, you know that I have to be the one."

Kagura dreaded hearing this. "Why do you think I have been working hard all this time? I want to help you," she said.

But Hayabusa shook his head. "I can't let you do that. The falcon has been chosen to protect the whole village, and that has to be my destiny. I have to keep you safe." His hand went up to his chest where Kagura knew he kept the pendant his father had given him underneath his shirt. "Hanzo has killed so many. I'm afraid he will get to you. I promised myself that I will protect you and your family, for everything you have done for me."

"This is not a debt that you have to repay." Kagura was dismayed that he had said something like that. Why did he think that he had to repay for everything her family had offered to him? Did he think that their friendship was fake? That she only wanted to be with him for protection? "You don't have to go alo -"

Before she had finished speaking, he grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze. It was over in a moment and he let go. "Please," he muttered. There was a pleading note in his voice that Kagura could not ignore. She kept silent the rest of the way home, her mind clouded with doubts and fears.


	13. Chapter 13

The last of the rays vanished behind the mountains and the whole forest shrouded into darkness, signaling the start of the assessment. The students from both sects took off into the dense woods, barely stirring a blade of grass. They had no moon to guide them on this night, they had to rely solely on their senses. The first ten to reach the river at the other side of the forest were declared the winner.

But deep down, first ten or not, Hayabusa knew that he would have to advance, given the prophecy. The whole village was depending on him, whether they knew it or not. Frustration pierced his stomach and he nearly lost his focus, nearly tripping over and crashing head-first into a tree. It was unfair that such a big responsibility had been given to him at such a young age. True, this was what he had been training to become a ninja for; protecting and pledging his loyalty to the village and its citizens. But he could not help envying the other boys and girls his age who had no need to bear such a big duty. But it doesn't matter, he told himself fiercely, he was still going to be one of the ten to make it across the river.

Suddenly, the ground dipped beneath him and he rolled off a hill. He struggled to get a grip but before he could do so, a birch tree at the foot of the hill broke his fall. Pain seared up from his stomach and he got up as quickly as he could and tried to make out of his surroundings. The undergrowth that grew at the bottom lay thick and plentiful, sure to trip any unsuspecting candidate. It would be difficult to get across from here. He could go back up the hill and follow the ridge until he reached a place where the undergrowth was less sparse, however that would take too long. He strained his ears, he could barely hear the other candidates around him but he knew that they were close by.

As he pondered on what to do, a scream erupted from behind him - more from shock than agony - followed by a heavy thumping sound.

"It's a trap!" A girl's voice gasped. Hayabusa heard the leaves rustled as she thrashed.

"Come _on_ , the others are going to catch up." A boy's voice.

Hayabusa recognised them. They were from the Scarlet Sect. He thought about whether he should go back and help them when he heard a gruff voice. The girl screamed again and there were sounds of a scuffle. Those must be the soldiers, Hayabusa thought. They had been warned that the wilderness and traps weren't the only dangers that would await the students. Soldiers had been positioned at random to tackle any student they come across, so it was equally important to stay silent as it is to travel quickly.

Hayabusa ducked behind the birch tree but he knew that it was too narrow to shield him and he hoped that the soldier was to preoccupied with his victims to realise that he was down there. He had to get a move on. Ahead of him, tiny yellow flames were bobbing around in the distance and fear gripped his heart as he thought of all the spirits that had been told to him when he was a child that resides in the forest. He shook his head and forced his heart to calm down. He formed his hands into fists and dug his nails into his palms in an effort to compel his mind to see sense. _Spirits do not exist_ , he breathed to himself repeatedly as for the first time, sweat started to form on his forehead and his backside.

They were just soldiers, he told himself as he got onto his feet again. He had gain composure once more though he was still breathing heavily. Behind him, the scuffling was still ongoing and more shouts and screams were erupting as traps sprung, student met soldier and lost their footing to the hill. As he was calming down, Hayabusa realised that the flames were giving him enough light to provide him a sense of the woods ahead of him. It seemed like he was entering a beech copse. If he was careful enough to jump and balance from branch to branch, he might go unnoticed and get entangled in the dense undergrowth.

He tensed his legs and made for the first branch that he could see in front of him. If hung low over the ground and he almost slipped on its slippery branch. He crawled carefully to its bark where the branch was thicker and jumped onto higher one of the same tree. He had set loose some leaves, but if he was fast enough, the soldiers would think he was just a squirrel making its way above them. He made out the beech ahead of him and leaped again for the thickset jutting branch, and he continued on, going as high as he could and as fast as he could without losing his balance; which was pretty excruciatingly slow. He had a glimpse of a few candidates rushing below him, hopping over fallen trees and tiny streams. The sound they made had alerted the soldiers and they rushed to meet their combatants, leaving Hayabusa clear passage beneath the trees once he reached a clearing.

He hopped onto the ground and relished the feeling of sturdy ground beneath his feet. He jogged the rest of the way. Eventually, the undergrowth became sparser and the grass beneath his feet gave way to soft tussocks that threatened to unbalance him. The trees gave way to a large valley; the forest continued at the other end, separated by a cliff cutting through the middle like a giant foot had smashed the ground centuries ago and unbalanced the ground. The going here would be easy albeit the cliff. However, Hayabusa was too cautious to risk it. Who knows what annoyingly concealed trap he might trigger if he decided to foolishly venture into the open.

"Hayabusa," someone whispered his name. He turned around, but it was too dark to make out anyone. A pebble flew towards his head but he wasn't in time to dodge it and he received a light scratch on his cheek. A giggle ensued.

"Alright, Hanabi," Hayabusa sighed. "Where are you?"

She emerged from a clump of ferns out of the shadows. "You would think someone from the _Shadow_ Sect would know how to hide better," she said pompously.

Hayabusa rolled his eyes and made to circle around the the valley when Hanabi threw a larger pebble at him. This time, it flew straight pass his face and triggered a flurry of arrows rushing pass right before his eyes.

"This place is riddled with traps," Hanabi conceded seriously. "It would be foolish to continue from here. I've stayed here and tried to gather how many traps there are all around this valley and I've concluded that it was impossible to proceed without setting off half a dozen, even from the edges of the forest."

Hayabusa thought for a moment. "And how long have you stayed there pretending to be a plant?"

"Long enough to avoid becoming a sponge."

If they couldn't make their way around this area without getting themselves caught in the traps, then it would be wiser to make a large circle around it. But that would take a longer time and the sun would have risen before they found their way to the final point at the river.

"I know what you're thinking," Hanabi guessed. "But there is no other way. I have considered the risks and it would take a longer time getting to the river by using the short way and getting injured than taking the longer route. It's much wiser that way and we can avoid any serious injuries that might slow us down."

Hayabusa nodded. "Good idea." He was surprised at the fact that both of them had come to the silent agreement to make the journey together even though they were rivals. He had underestimated how much they had bonded over the last few moons.

It was hard to determine how much time had passed without the moon but it felt like it must have taken about half of the night before they reached the cliff that had scored its way midway in the valley. Hanabi peered over the edge, which led to a perilous drop over the treetops. They were well-clear of the wide valley now and Hayabusa could only imagine the ordeal the other candidates had to go through. "Let's go," Hayabusa said and led the way down the cliff, placing his hands and feet carefully on cracks and ledges that would support him.

"Careful," he called out above him as he carefully inched his way over to the side. "This step is slick."

"How nice," Hanabi growled through gritted teeth, she was clearly struggling to get down.

"I'm only making sure your behind doesn't slam onto my face."

His hands were trembling by the time he was close enough to the bottom to jump off. He landed awkwardly and felt relieved when the tension was released from his shoulders and thighs. He looked up to where Hanabi was still clinging on. She was slower than oldest tortoise, her toes was at the level of the topmost trees and she was making her way down agonisingly slow.

"How are you doing up there?" Hayabusa called out.

But Hanabi was too exhausted to crawl back. Even from where he stood, Hayabusa knew that she could not hang on for much longer. Suddenly, she lost her footing and, for a heart-stopping moment, slipped a little way down before finding a hold again. She let out a cry and gasped as she slid a little further. Hayabusa raced to her aid, he knew that she was in danger and falling from that height would break her spine.

"Steady your breathing," he advised. "I'm right below you."

"I... I can't -"

Her words were cut off as she lost her grip and fell, setting off some loose stones which pattered off Hayabusa harmlessly. He caught Hanabi in his arms and nearly buckled under her weight. The scent of blood reached his nose and he knew without seeing that her fingertips were bleeding. He cursed under his breath and laid her down on top of some soft moss.

"I'm fine," Hanabi said softly, trying to rub off the blood on her shirt but ending up wincing in pain. She stripped off a piece of cloth from her clothes for bandages before noticing Hayabusa digging through the undergrowth. "What are you doing?"

He couldn't make out one plant from the next in the dark so he had to use his nose to guide him. He later emerged with some flowers in one hand.

Hanabi looked aghast. "What -?"

"Quiet," Hayabusa snapped before stripping the leaves off the flowers and chewing them in his mouth. He sat before her and applied the chewed up leaves onto her fingers. Hanabi flinched away in disgust.

"If you want it to heal faster, then keep still." Hayabusa warned and started wrapping the bandages over her fingers, careful to keep the juices in.

"Where did you learn that from?" Hanabi asked. She kept her hands away from her body as if afraid they would dirty her clothes.

Hayabusa remembered being in the garden of the Nakahara mansion, with Kagura citing the plants and their powerful healing properties. "And this," she plucked out the branch of a stem with lots of tiny yellow flowers. "Is goldenrod. It reduces inflammation and helps with wounds. Blooms in late summer and early autumn and can be found easily next to open spaces."

"Have you been learning magic or herbology?" Hayabusa teased, flicking the flower away as Kagura held it in his face.

With her umbrella in hand - as always - she knocked Hayabusa onto his behind. "Listen closely," she scolded. "Your assessment will start in a few weeks and you need to know all you can. Especially if you get injured."

Now, Hayabusa closed his eyes and send a silent of prayer of thanks to his friend. If it weren't for her, Hanabi would have suffered from an infection and swelling.

"Let's get going," he said. But before they could take a few steps further, a loud explosion sounded from some way off and reverberated throughout the whole forest. The trees bent from the force, leaves strewn across the forest floor were blown away and Hanabi and Hayabusa fell onto their sides. Hayabusa quickly got to his feet and looked up through the branches of the trees.

"What was that?" Hanabi gasped as she too, got up.

Hayabusa could barely make out the sky through the thick canopy, but what he saw made his breath catch in his throat. A dim, red glow was emitting from the direction of the valley. Crimson smoke rose into the sky in the shape of a clawed hand. The scent of crow-food reached his nose. "The others are in danger," he conceded, his heart beating quickly in his chest. Somehow, he knew that this wasn't part of the assessment. Even as he said that, several screams pierced the silence of the forest and was abruptly cut off. "Stay here. I'll go and help."

"Wait, I can come with." Hanabi made to grasp his hand but thought better of it and withdrew it. "I'll go too."

Another agonised scream erupted. "You're injured. You can't come."

"A few bruised fingers won't stop me," Hanabi insisted.

Hayabusa sighed, knowing that it was no use arguing with her. He led the way through the trees, forgetting about the traps. The force from the explosion would have sprung all of them anyway, he thought. A feeling of cold dread engulfed him as he made his way closer and closer to the valley. He could hear Hanabi's breath next to his ear as they carefully made their way. Then the trees began to thin out and he could see the red glow coming from between the barks. In the valley, signs of fighting ensued; swords clanged and shouts of pain. The rotten smell seemed to be getting stronger too and Hayabusa had to breathe through his mouth to block off the scent.

He pressed his back against a young oak tree and peered around its bark. He choked on his breath and his eyes widened. His whole body was frozen on the spot and his breath started coming in gasps as he struggled to breathe.

A strange purplish fire was burning in the middle of the valley and candidates and soldiers were surrounded all around it. The students were in their battle stance even though their faces were fixed in an emotion of pure horror. The soldiers had positioned themselves in front of the students in an effort to protect them but Hayabusa knew that it was no use. For in the middle stood a man whose body was silhouetted by the flames, and Hayabusa knew that without a doubt Hanzo had returned.

* * *

 **So glad that I could have this published! I just came back from my vacation in South Korea. Where did you go during your holidays?**

 **And do you guys prefer HayaxKag or HayaxHana? Let me know! :)**


	14. Chapter 14

Hanabi forgot how much her fingers were hurting when she saw what was happening in the valley. " _No!_ " she cried as she watched Hanzo wiped out several soldiers with a wave of his sword.

His sword, it wasn't anything she had ever seen before. It was _moving_ , like cold dead flesh with sharp teeth. The blade bulged and emitted an eerie purple light, like it was a live animal, starving for blood. And the once admired Hanzo had turned into a shell of his former self; his clothes were tattered and his skin stretched over wasted muscle. But that didn't seem to curb his strength as he fought against the soldiers. Some brave students tried to take him on but were knocked aside by the flat side of the haunted blade.

Hanzo cackled, his laugh sounding like bones rattling together. "Oh, Ame no Habakiri, I have found you!" He raised the sword into the air and the flame grew bigger. From where they hid, Hanabi could feel the heat and she shied away behind the oak.

Almost immediately, his voice had turned gravelly and old, as if someone else was talking as he hissed, "Well done.. Now slay all those who stand in your way and acquire their blood."

Another maniacal laugh escaped him as he brandished his sword and said, "Let all those who defy me find their way in the path of bloodshed."

Beside her, she could feel Hayabusa trembling. She looked at him and was so shocked to see that he was not like himself at all. Always the emotionless, confident boy but now he looked like a little child lost in the woods. Hanabi patted his shoulder and he looked up at her, his face recovering the inscrutable look it had always wore. "This is my destiny," he said, his voice wavering. And before she could stop him, Hayabusa dashed from behind the tree and charged.

Hanabi watched in horror as he grabbed a spear at a fallen soldier and made to pierce Hanzo's heart, all the while screaming fiercely. Hanabi could not believe his recklessness and foolishbess. Her breath caught in her throat and she squeezed her eyes shut and the last thing she saw was Hanzo lifting his blade.

However, Hayabusa hadn't met his death yet as he was knocked aside by someone of a bigger build. Hanzo's sword slammed down onto the ground a heartbeat where Hayabusa had been. Hanabi raced from her cover and met the two boys as they ran clear of Hanzo's attack range.

"Ryuu!" Hayabusa snarled.

The older boy slapped him. "What did you think you were doing? You think you would die a hero if you charged in like that? You would've been killed for nothing!" Ryuu led them to the foot of the cliff and ushered them inside a low-hanging cave. Inside, it was warm and Hanabi was surprised to see so many other students were clustered around inside. They all looked up at them with frightened faces.

"The brave and the foolish stayed outside to challenge him," Ryuu explained gravely. "This is not a way to die."

Hayabusa turned on him which shocked Hanabi. "You don't understand, this is what I am meant to do. I am meant to challenge Hanzo and bring an end to his terrorism."

Hanzo scoffed and he pushed Hayabusa out of his face. "You're only barely in your teens. What makes you think that you could fight against him? Have you seen his sword and smelt the air? He has allied himself with demons. No one can defeat him."

To Hanabi's relief, Hayabusa saw sense in his sect-mate's reasoning and calmed down a bit. However the battle was still ongoing overhead as more soldiers rallied and called for aid. "Will there be help?"

"A messenger was sent to warn the Grandmasters of his return," Ryuu replied. "Let's hope they get here in time."

"But they won't make here in time!" Hanabi protested.

The grim look in Ryuu's face showed that he already knew that. Silence greeted her words as the other students took in what she said. She regretted her words and wished that she could take them back. Right now, all these frightened students needed were assurances that they would be fine; and she hoped that they were true.

The ground above them shook, causing some small stones to fall onto their heads. "He's getting closer," Ryuu muttered seriously. "We need to delay his approach for as long as we can before backup arrives." He casted an intense stare at Hayabusa and Hanabi. "He _must not_ find the rest of the students here."

Hanabi nodded in understanding. If he wiped out all of students, then the village was as well as defenseless. They were the last line of defense if Hanzo defeated all the soldiers. "Then, let's go," Hanabi conceded. "We must help the others. On one condition." She turned to Hayabusa and spoke firmly. "No more foolishness."

Hayabusa nodded silently. "Let us go."

The flames had encircled the valley by the time they emerged and stood with the rest of the braver students to face Hanzo. A few bodies were littered across the ground and Hanabi avoided looking at them, afraid she might see someone she recognised. "What is that blade?" Hanabi gaped at the sword he was holding. However much she was terrified, she knew she had to compose herself to face him, otherwise many more lives would be lost.

"He called it Ame no Habakiri," Ryuu replied. "I've heard that he had recently acquired it here in this forest. We just have to hope he hadn't grown accustomed to it yet."

"That may be the only thing left that could save our lives," Hayabusa noted flatly as he plucked out a spear in the ground and threw it like a javelin. It whistled over the heads of the soldiers and made contact with the hilt of Hanzo's cursed sword. It bounced harmlessly off but now, he had gotten Hanzo's attention as he stared through the ranks of soldiers to see who was stupid enough to throw that spear at him.

Hanabi cursed under her breath as she saw his eyes. What were supposed to be two human eyes were replaced by bulbs of sightless blue orbs. His cheeks were sunken and he looked like an reanimated corpse. Her stomach gripped with fear. How could anyone fight with death?

Hanzo let out a ghastly roar and plunged his sword into the ground. Immediately spikes protruded from the earth, piercing anyone in its way and it made its way towards the trio. They flung themselves out of the way and quickly got to their feet and watched as Hanzo struggled to tug the sword out. The soldiers saw their chance and charged. Hanzo flashed his teeth at them like a wild animal and, balancing on his sword like a pole, kicked the soldiers aside with several swift movements. He clawed at another's throat and flung himself onto two, sending both to the ground as he gorged their hearts out like a mountain lion.

After he was done with his prey, the sword opened up from the toothed end like a gaping mouth. Hanabi watched in horror as it sucked the souls from the dead bodies into it. The blade bulged more aggressively and brighter. Hanzo made to grab the hilt again but was stopped when Ryuu threw a large stone at his face.

Hanzo turned his head in his direction, his face contorted into an emotion of fury and hatred. "Young boy," he growled, sounding like his voice was dragging on gravel. "I sense the greed for might in your mind. Join me in power and live to see a new age unfold. I promise you that you will have a special seat right beside me." With one swift movement, he pulled the sword out of the ground and left a dark scar on the earth. Hanabi stared as the dark scar pooled over with black ink and formed the shape of a slimy, black creature without sight. It floated in the air and circled around his legs like a cat. It grew shiny, white fangs and grinned a malicious smile. Feeling suddenly defenseless, she picked up a sword from the ground next to her.

When Ryuu refused to reply, Hanzo flicked his wrist and the creature swarmed towards them, its mouth gaping as if it wanted to suck their souls. It raced pass her and made for Ryuu and Hanabi tried to slice the creature with her heavy sword but the blade just cut through black mist.

Hayabusa leapt into his friend's defense and hopped onto the creature but he fell through it.

"It's no use," Hanabi gasped. "That thing has no body. We can't harm it!"

" _Ryuu, get away!_ " Hayabusa screamed and Ryuu threw himself onto the ground at the last minute and the creature plunged onto where he was standing a second ago. Hanabi watched in amazement as it swam up through the earth like it was water and swerved onto the path in Ryuu's direction again. But the boy was not fast enough to get up and Hanabi made her way to intercept, plunging the end of the sword into the creature's mouth as it gaped to consume Ryuu.

The creature gagged and Hanabi had to struggle with it in order to keep her grasp with the sword. The dark mist was biting down onto the blade now, jerking its head from side to side until Hanabi lost her grip and the creature got away again.

"Hayabusa! It's coming!" She cried out a warning to him as he ran side by side with Ryuu away from the creature as it pooled out of the ground again, its jaws opening and closing as it reached closer and closer, almost grabbing hold of the boys' heels.

Then something happened that Hanabi could not comprehend directly. A wide disc intercepted its path and erupted in a burst of light, distinguish the dark mist like ink in a bowl of milk. The two boys collapsed, panting. They looked as shock as she felt. The disc returned to the hands of someone standing at the edge of the woods, too far away to make out but it seemed to be glowing white light. And Hanabi's heart faltered when she thought that one of the gods had come down to deliver them to the heavens. The person was on the back of a grey steed and it was galloping fast towards them until Hanabi made out that it wasn't a god at all, but _Kagura._

Hanabi never in her life thought that she would see the pretty noble and sensed the rush of relief she was feeling at the moment. Kagura slid out of the back of the beast and offered her hand to the boys. "Get up," she urged gently even though her voice was laced with fear.

Hayabusa was staring up at her in amazement. "What are you doing here?" Before she could reply, more horses were galloping past them, astride on their backs were the most powerful people in the village. They surrounded themselves around Hanzo as he fought against the remaining soldiers and students. More than half of them lay dead, their bodies strewn across the valley.

"Can you get up?" Hanabi was shaken out of her stupor when she realised that Kagura had spoken to her. She nodded and got shakily to her feet, relieved that help had finally arrived. With them, Hanzo could finally be contained.

"Climb onto Minnow," Kagura was persuading her onto her beast. While Hanabi was never fond of horses, she wasn't eager to show it in front of Hayabusa's friend and she silently obliged. Kagura followed her up and sat in front of Hanabi. She instructed her to put her hands on her hips so that she wouldn't fall off and Hanabi awkwardly did so. "Beside me," she ordered Hayabusa and Ryuu. She opened her umbrella and placed the hiragami (the 'pelt' of the umbrella) in front of the horse's face and spun it twice, creating a blue force field around them.

Hanabi watched in wonder as the blue force spiralled from the tip of her umbrella until it surrounded them. Kagura was stroking her horse's mane to soothe it. "Father and the rest will take care of him," she said, more to the others than to her horse.

"He let you come along?" Hayabusa asked in disbelief.

Kagura carefully positioned her umbrella over her shoulder so that it rested on Hanabi's as well. "I had to beg him," she confessed. "After I promised that I'll find you and stay out of the way, only did he allowed me to tag along."

The Grandmasters were talking with Hanzo, abandoning their horses and forming a ring around them. The purple flames had finally died down and the surviving soldiers and students had gathered near the foot of the cliff.

"The others," Hanabi reminded them, thinking of the petrified students taking refuge under the hill.

"Wait," Hayabusa said. "I want to listen to what they say."

"Surrender your weapon," Lord Nakahara - donned in heavy battle armor - was ordering. "And come back with us."

" _Go_ with you?" Hanzo chuckled. "And what? Spend a lifetime in prison?"

"Then go," Lord Nakahara replied with great authority. "If you won't come back to Iga then we are sentencing you to exile."

"Wait." A whiskery old man stepped forward and Hanabi noticed that Hayabusa had held his breath. "That's Kenji sensei," he said. "What is he doing?"

"Hanzo, you were a wonderful student. You excelled in all the classes and have been given the highest praise. What happened to you?" he queried. He took another bold step forward. Hanzo only stared down at his former tutor. "What made you turn on this path of destruction and death? Why betray the people who cared for you and admired you?"

Hanzo picked up his sword and leveled it in front of the old man's face. "See here? This is Ame no Habakiri. Who wouldn't have been formed if it weren't for our ancestors. _Our_ ancestors, the Akakage."

Kenji appear to realise something for he suddenly collapsed onto his knees and trembled from head to toe. "No, not that. Please, anything but that."

"You seem to understand, Kenji sensei," Hanzo said. "You seem to understand what our ancestors had done to create such a magnificent sword, a sword that impresses the Goddess of Death herself. With this sword, I can lay waste to any country that threatens our own. I can become the most powerful ninja of Iga, if you would let me." He laughed a hideous laughed which slowly transformed itself into a chortling sound and bones rattling together and when he spoke next, his voice was full of malice and greed. "He fed me the blood of Crimson warriors and awoken me. He is the only one worthy of me inhibiting a body. The Akakages have formed me and wished me to disappear, but only _he_ could see the full potential of my powers - of _our_ powers - if wielded carefully. Do you see it now, old man?"

Lord Nakahara had to step in and drag Kenji sensei away. "Hanekage, you live?" Kenji whimpered.

"You are all a noble breed." Hanzo's sightless blue eyes shone brighter as it landed on each person, including Hanabi who flinched away in terror. She gripped the clothes on Kagura's waist tighter. "I would hate to see it perish away, to see it wasted as it faded each generation. But now is the moment you are all blessed to see it finally get reawakened again. If you would join me and see Iga transformed into a legendary empire!"

"Never!" Someone yowled and as one, the Grandmasters charged at Hanzo - or the demon that had taken over his body.

"Kagura!" Lord Nakahara called as he dragged Kenji towards them. Hayabusa rushed over to help. Kagura slid off her beast's back and together, they hauled Kenji onto its back. Hanabi had to make sure that he didn't fall over.

"I want you to return back to the village now," the lord told them. "Hurry and go. Far, far away from here as fast as you can."

"I will slaughter you all if that is what it takes to gain power!" The demon howled as it battled the powerful Grandmasters. But, however powerful they are, Hanabi could see that they were slowly losing. She searched the ranks for Chiyo sensei but could not find her. Then, she spotted her, leading an attack behind Hanzo as he was distracted. She was about to call out to her when Kagura's father yelled at them all to get away.

"How about you?" Kagura cried. Tears were streaming her eyes and Hayabusa and Ryuu stood off awkwardly at the side, both eager to be off.

"I will be fine here. Go home, and protect the house." He gathered his daughter in his arms and kissed the top of her head. "You are much more powerful than you think. I love you."

Before Kagura could say anymore, the lord threw himself into the fray, unsheathing his sword. Hayabusa tugged her away. Hanabi, meanwhile, was overflowed with emotion; envy because none of her parent had ever shown her that much love before, guilt because she couldn't do anything to help and most of all, sadness at seeing the circumstances they had to depart at. "Go on," she encouraged them. "I'll go beside you." She tried to ignore how much her fingers hurt as she tugged at the reins and urged the horse at a steady trot as the others jogged to catch up.

Behind them, the battle was more chaotic than ever. Hanabi could never begin to feel what Kagura must be feeling. Having to turn her back on a family member as they fought; possibly to the death.

However, amongst the fray, the demon had spotted the four hurrying to get away. He bared his fangs and said in a voice that resonated in the pit of everyone's stomachs, "You can't escape me! Let all those who are here witness the beginning of the destruction of your precious village."

His sword, once again, opened its mouth wide and sucked in the souls of the dead. The Grandmasters froze and watched in horror as they had never seen anyone perform such a terrible thing before. Before any of them could move, Hanzo plunged his sword into the earth again and unleashed a horde of dark mists. A few masters attempted to attack them but their weapons merely plunged through the mist harmlessly. Hanzo withdrew his sword once more and continued battling, but his movements were growing weaker and slower. The dark mists swarmed into a thick fog and assisted him; tearing up anyone in its path.

Hanabi glanced behind her and tried to prompt the others to go faster. While Kagura's force field were standing in between them and Hanzo, Hanabi doubted that it would hold long against the dark mists.

"Kagura, your umbrella," Ryuu called, stumbling along with Hayabusa and Kagura.

"It's no use," Kenji sensei wheezed. "With that many evil, even my lady is powerless against it."

But it didn't stop Kagura from trying. She threw her umbrella for as far as it could go into the midst of the fighting and conjured up a powerful spell that purged some of the mists, but many more replaced it. The umbrella returned into her hands as the dark mists realised who had defeated its comrades and made their way towards them. Desperate, Kagura quickly a small ball of pinkish light in her hands and threw it at them. It just seemed to annoy them more.

"Hanabi, go," Kagura told her. "Go with Minnow and Kenji sensei. We'll join you in the shelter. We'll hold them off for as long as we can." She glanced at Hayabusa and Ryuu and both of them nodded. "Take care of the other students."

Reluctant as she was to leave them behind, she knew that she had to. She would be of no use fighting with them if she could barely hold up a weapon, and Kenji was as useless as a frayed broom. "Take care," she whispered before letting the horse gallop off. Worse case scenario, they would all have to evacuate and hope that some of them would survive...

* * *

 **Thank you for leaving your reviews! I really enjoy reading them and, honestly, they are the reason that I'm still writing right now :P**

 **I'm trying to progress the story so it wouldn't draaaggg...**

 **I really enjoy writing the HayaxHana bits, they're so fun to write about!**

 **And it's starting to make me wonder, maybe choosing one of them is going to be harder than I initially thought.**


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